Effortless networking

Srirupa Dasgupta ("Call me Sri, please") is a personal effectiveness coach who works with small business owners, self-employed professionals, and entrepreneurs.

Her special skill is helping people enjoy an uncommon level of success by building, sustaining, and leveraging the relationships in their personal and professional networks. About a year ago I discovered her blog on effortless networking, and since then I’ve enjoyed her view on matters that only a lover of networking can appreciate.

Sri recently published a book called (what else?) Effortless Networking: Everyday Wisdom to Transform Your Business and Life. Like her blog, Sri’s book is simple, direct, and easy to read. It’s written for what I would call "bashful" networkers: those for whom networking is not second nature, who must learn why they want to network as well as how. But don’t presume this is a book for "newbies": the wisdom in the contents keeps the promise of the title and will help even veteran networkers reclaim lost insights.

The book begins by focusing on why readers might want to network in the first place. I like that. After all, in almost any strategic endeavor (and networking surely qualifies!), if the why is strong and clear then the how usually falls into place.

What prompted Sri to write her book? "I’ve learned from my clients and workshop attendees that the ‘art’ of networking is spoken about more than understood, and practiced less—or less effectively—than they like," she said.

When I asked what she thinks are the three biggest issues people need to address to be more effective networkers, her response was as follows.

• "Some people lack confidence." If the foundation for networking—being clear about why you’re doing it—isn’t present, you have to address that first. Even if that’s clear, however, some people aren’t skilled at the how of networking. They don’t know how to find suitable venues, the right people to network with, what to say, the difference between networking and prospecting, when formal leads groups are appropriate, etc.
• "Some people lack meaningful results." Even people who know all the moves can fail to generate the outcomes they want from networking. In these cases, Sri suggests looking at two things: the clarity of their purpose for networking—what they want to accomplish—and whether their expectations are reasonable.
• "Some people lack the skill of communicating effectively." Many issues can arise, from not knowing where, when, and how to contact and follow up with others to not knowing what you expect from yourself and others in the networking process.

Sri’s book is less about tips and techniques for networking than about the foundation on which all good networking is built: purpose. She says, "What I deal with is the everyday ‘stuff’ that happens in a life or a business context, and what I do is help my clients remove the mystery of that ‘stuff’ so they can practice networking effectively and enjoy the results."

In Effortless Networking, Srirupa Dasgupta focuses on the less-obvious elements of networking to help readers understand their own purpose for networking and generate more value in their life and business. You can find Sri's book at TNNW's bookstore. Read Sri’s blog at www.effortlessnetworking.com.

 

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Bill Doerr, CCO

TEM Associates, Inc.
SellMore Marketing, LLC
Southway Executive Park
35 Cold Spring Road, Building 400
Rocky Hill, CT 06067

Office: 860-563-0480
Cell: 860-798-6964
Web: BillD@TheNationalNetworker.com or via TNNW Blog.