Career Tips – How To Network During The Holidays

Yes, yes, yes the holidays can be great for your career. Why? They offer a great opportunity to keep your network warm – and easily make new business connections.

Let me quickly remind you of why you want a strong network: more and stronger relationships help you perform better at work. And remember, networking is just a fancy word for building strong, authentic relationships.

Let me give you a few examples of why you want strong relationships.  First, you have the two brains is better than one scenario. With a strong network comes a huge variety of expertise you can tap into. If you need an expert opinion, you can easily pick up the phone and call just the right person for a new idea, consultation, etc.

Second, a good network fast tracks your results. Rather than going through an electronic queue to fix a computer problem, wouldn't it be better to buzz your buddy in IT and have it fixed in 10 minutes? Situations like this accelerate your progress in all sorts of scenarios.

And of course, a strong network will bring you more opportunities. You'll hear about new job openings, potential promotions, news about the industry, etc. And of course, you'll have advocates thinking of you, people referring clients to you, and friends saying you're the go to person for your niche.

Have I convinced you? Good, now let's look at how to network during the holidays:

1. Holiday parties are great opportunities to meet people. Yes, all those parties can be exhausting but they are great for catching up with people you haven't seen in a while. And they give you a chance to easily make new connections. This doesn't mean schmoozing. Just be your regular, friendly self – and then remember to get a business card. Send a quick follow-up note in a day or two, and all the sudden you have a new connection.

2. They are the perfect excuse to knock on people's doors. Who's going to object to you popping your head into their office to say happy holidays? In fact, it's perfect for all those people that you recognize from around the office but don't introduce yourself to because you feel like you should already know their name.

"Hey, I just wanted to stop by and say happy holidays. By the way, I'm Susan." So simple. So effective.

3. You've got a great reason to send a "warm up the relationship" email. Remember, a good rule of thumb for keeping a relationship warm is to be in touch four times a year (that's the minimum, for close relationships you want more contact). The holidays are a perfect time to get the ball rolling because you have such a great reason to email. And boom, there is one out of four reconnection moments taken care of. I personally don't mind receiving mass holiday e-cards but imagine the power of an individually written note. It doesn't have to be long to be effective.

What do you think? How do you network during the holidays?

Marie Wetmore
Career, Performance, and Management Coach for Women
www.lionssharecoaching.com   
coachme@lionssharecoaching.com