One of the things I've missed most during the pandemic is getting together and networking. Networking is part of my DNA. No cocktail parties, fundraisers, association meetings and so on for the last couple years has been troubling for me, and I'm sure for many of you as well.
The No. 1 line from my networking book, "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty," is: "If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts."
Networking is that important for business. In my entire career, I have never once heard a successful person say he or she regretted putting time and energy into their network.
Author Porter Gale said: "Your network is your net worth."
Networking is not a numbers game. The idea is not to see how many people you can meet; the idea is to compile a network of people you can count on.
For most people, networking is a learned behavior, like learning to swim. It is a gradual process of trial and error, small incremental steps and finally a few breakthroughs.
If you want to practice, start with your family and extended family and then their extended families. Your network is potentially the size of your contacts, plus all your relatives' contacts, your friends' contacts, your business associates' contacts and so on.
Four of the best groups I know for networking are alumni clubs, industry associations, social clubs and hobby groups. Some universities have better alumni networks than others, but every school — even every high school — has an alumni club.