How NOT to network for success!

Each day I see examples of how NOT to network. This is now a world where it is as easy to build relationships with people around the world as it is to build them with people in your hometown. Yet daily, people ask me if they can guest post, promote their product, or buy their service but I am clueless as to who they are or whether if they are even real.

How do you meet new people?

People ask me all the time how I know so many people. I keep my eyes open. Whether in person or online, I look for opportunities. Often I look for opportunities to help, it tends to come naturally to me but it certainly is something anyone can do.

Networking is much more successful if you get to know the other person before you start to make demands or even just requests. Today’s world is very different. If I don’t know you, I probably won’t do business with you.

a perfect example of how not to network

I’m contacting you from MAKEOVER DIRECT, one of the Web’s top sites for career and dating makeovers. We connect people in your industry with top clients who are looking for your services.

We have a huge audience who are constantly asking for style consultants, hairdressers, fitness trainers and much more.

Oh really? I see the word career in the first paragraph but I am not a style consultant, hairdresser, or other and most of all, I have NEVER heard of you. How NOT to Network! This was an email that has already come twice from someone I don’t know. How NOT to Network!

Here’s another example of bad networking – just in my inbox

Just started a new business.  You can make lots of money.  Who’s in?  Contact me for details.

No name – sprint messaging… Right, that works!

By the way, many of these are opportunities for spam and viruses to get at your computer. I delete. You should too.

Yet another bad networking example

I would like to provide you with access to my private newsletter. This series of educational messages contain extremely valuable information.

To confirm, simply click the following confirmation link. ~ miraclebody

Again, I don’t know them… bad networking (and bad marketing). I will not opt into a newsletter that I didn’t ask to get from someone I don’t know.

How not to network with a pitch for products without knowing the client

I thought you might like to know some reasons why you are not getting enough Social Media and Organic search engine traffic for yourwebsite.org.

1. Your website yourwebsite.com is not ranking top in Google organic searches for many competitive keyword phrases.

2. Your company is not doing well in most of the Social Media Websites.

3. Your site is not user friendly on mobile devices.

Laughable, considering this email has been around for years and it is the same message to everyone’s site. It looks very real, signed with a real name (often Ethan Lim) and even has this PS:

PS I: I am not spamming. I have studied your website and believe I can help with your business promotion. If you still want us to not contact you, you can ignore this email or ask to remove and I will not contact again.

Nonsense! Of course you are spamming.

How do you get to know someone?

• Find common ground.
• If you are interested in others, they will be interested in you.
• Talk about the weather. It may seem trite but it is common ground. We all have weather. Hot or cold, sunny or rainy.
• Notice things about other people.

Comment on their posts. Build a conversation. Share their content. I met people worldwide, hired some of them, met some in person, and took it offline through phone or Zoom, most of whom I only met initially online. But sending unsolicited requests to buy a product, guest post, or buy a service is just spam and will be treated as such by most of the people you contact.

As a job seeker, you need to realize that there are plenty of bad networking examples but the things that work best in business, also work best in your job search.

To get your job search launched with an outstanding resume, simply click here.