5 Networking Tips Nobody Talks About 

I have a good friend on Twitter who is also an information marketer. And because he is in the trenches growing his business, sometimes he sends me the most difficult questions.

Last week, he sent me an email with questions about online networking. His email made me think. Hopefully, my thoughts will help you too so in this article, I’ll walk you through five simple steps that improve your networking skills.

Starting with finding the right people to maintain and ascending the relationships. I will also share some key mindset shifts that will make networking feel natural and effective.

To begin with, let’s start with this five-step process to successful networking.

Five-Step Process To Successful Networking

Step 1: Finding The Right People

Ask yourself, are you connecting with the right crowd?

The first step is very important because you need to connect with the right people to see any results from your effort.

When I first started my online business, I was hesitant to network at all. And then, I went overboard and I connected with anyone that I could connect with. Both approaches were inefficient.

Yes, I met lots of people, but most of them:

• Were not interested in coaching
• They were not coachable
• Not even interested in personal development

But the first time when I attended a new event that was specifically for coaches and entrepreneurs, it was so much easier for me. I met people who understood my work and who were genuinely interested in collaborating with me.

Just think of it like fishing, if you wanna catch a specific type of fish, you go to the location where you have the highest chance of finding that fish.

Similarly to building meaningful connections.

1. First of all, you need to know who it is that you wanna connect with.
2. And then, you need to go to the places or hang out virtually where exactly those types of people are.

That will almost naturally lead you to step number two, having an initial conversation.

Step 2: Have an Initial Conversation

When you first connect with someone, your first goal is always to be curious about them:

• Learn about their goals
• Why do they have them?
• What are their reasons for them?

This does two things for you.

1. Not only will it help you tell if this is the right type of connection for you but
2. If it is the right type of connection you will build a deeper relationship so much faster

For instance, just recently, I met someone and instead of jumping straight into what I do, I first try to learn about their projects and why they are doing what they are doing.

This approach not only broke the ice easily but also gave me valuable insight into how I could potentially support them.

Now, most of the time, that initial conversation doesn’t right away lead to a new client or a new deal.

That’s why step three is so important where you maintain the relationship.

Step 3: Maintaining The Relationships

Staying connected is crucial. 

Keep in touch with them through:

• Email
• Calls
• If you ever have a workshop or webinar coming up, invite them.

Another thing that you can do, is whenever you come across a resource that is genuinely helpful to them, forward it to them. It doesn’t have to be your blog post or your video so that you can forward it to somebody else.

For example, if you know somebody struggling with their online networking and they’re struggling to find clients, maybe this video will help them and you can forward it to them.

Here’s another example:

• I once met somebody at a workshop.
• Then, I sent them an email thanking and I also linked them to an article that was helping them with what they shared with me.
• A few months later, I invited them to a workshop that I did.
• The result? A successful collaboration

And that’s how you get to step four, ascending the relationship.

Step 4: Ascending The Relationship

As you stay in touch with people, the relationship will naturally deepen. To be fair, sometimes they don’t deepen and they fizzle out but that’s okay too.

But with the people who do respond to your messages, this can lead to:

1. New opportunities
2. New referrals
3. New clients

It’s just like climbing a ladder. Each time you interact with another person, it builds trust and rapport.

One of my first contacts from an online event, later introduced me to a major client because we built a strong rapport over time.

This is really not a hack and don’t go into this interaction with your own agenda. It’s really about respecting other people’s boundaries and creating opportunities.

Ultimately, that’s how you reach step five where you start to benefit from those relationships.

Step 5: Benefit From The Relationship

My mentor and business partner always say, “Your best client is just one connection away.”

What that means is that even if someone doesn’t become a client, they can lead to the next one.

The most obvious and direct way is to just ask. Ask them if they know someone:

• Who could use what you offer
• Who would be interested in what you do

More often, however, building that rapport with someone will open up new connections with new opportunities. Always remember that one strong connection can set up a chain reaction of follow-up opportunities.

I’ve had several instances where people that I stay in touch with referred me to someone else who needed exactly the services that I was offering.

But here’s the thing: This is where people often get impatient and give up on networking.

When you are in that place where your patience is tested, it can feel like networking is chaotic and messy. It can feel like you don’t have any control over the process and you’re just waiting for the whims and moods of other people.

But you do have power over one thing. It’s up to you to stay on top of their mind and stay under the radar. And when you have what they want, they will naturally take the next step with you.

Patience and consistent engagement are both key.

Treat your network like a garden:

1. Plants seeds.
2. Water them every day.
3. Be patient.

Networking Tips

I have different little tactics for all of these five steps like:

• How do I store my contacts?
• How do I set up reminders?

But I don’t think how I use these tactics is what really matters. Just do what works for you, whether you use:

• CRM software
• Google Calendar
• Notion

What’s much more important is that successful networking takes an important mindset shift which is detachment from the outcome.

I like to think of networking like hosting a dinner party.

I don’t invite people over for dinner and expect instant connections and deals. Just think about how bad would you feel if you came over and you sensed that, now you owe something in return because I invited and gave you food.

Mindset Shifts

Using the dinner analogy, here are the most important mindset shifts that you need to take to become successful at networking.

#1: Be the Best Host You Can Be

First of all, you are excited about the event. You prepared some of your favorite food and can’t wait to share it with your guests. Your enthusiasm is contagious and you wanna have this type of energy about the work that you do.

#2: Make Guests Feel Welcome

You wanna make your guests feel welcome and valued and how do you do that? Not by showing off or pitching what you do, do that by:

1. Asking them questions
2. Listening intuitively
3. And making them feel valued for being here with you

What I’ve observed happen over and over again is that when you have this enthusiasm for what you do and you are excited about your projects you have, a mission something you’re striving for, that is your mindset.

You also care much more about the other person than you care about yourself. This combination is very intriguing and appealing. People will become interested in you and will ask you:

• What are you up to?
• What are you doing?
• What’s going on in your life?

This will be your moment. You can now share passionately what you are working on, whether it is:

• A book
• New product
• Course
• Workshop
• Coaching Program
• Whatever it is that you are working on

When you are genuinely excited, others will also become excited about your journey.

Then here’s the last mindset shift and that is extending the invitation.

#3: Extending The Invitation

I think this here might probably be the most misunderstood step in the networking process. The truth is, at some point, you have to invite people if you:

1. Wanna get clients
2. Make sales
3. And make deals

In other words, pitching is part of the process, and denying that isn’t good either. Instead of thinking of it like a pitch, I like to think of it more as an invitation.

“I’m on a mission and if our goals align, then I want to invite you to join me.”

Here’s an example, I run a private group for video creators. This is a group for people who are dedicated to creating at least one video per week.

I don’t pitch that to every person I connect with. But when I meet someone who has exactly that goal, and they are also genuinely interested in me and what I do, then I will invite them for a test session. I will tell them, to join us and see if this group is fit for them.

The truth is most people are not a good fit for you. If you believe that your service or offer is for everyone and anyone, then you need to rethink your offer but that is a whole different topic.

The point is this, if they decline your offer, no worries. You can still ask them if they know somebody else who would be interested in what you do.

So yes, you’re detached from the outcome but you also not wasting opportunities.

By adopting these mindsets, your networking will start to feel more natural and more enjoyable just like hosting a dinner party.

But to build and grow a profitable, especially as a new coach or course creator, networking is just one pillar. There are two things that you have to do every single day. I call them daily marketing habits and these habits work perfectly with everything you’ve learned today about networking. Click this link to read more about it.

My Three Takeaways

1. When I’m networking, I aim to connect with people who share my goals. By focusing on the right crowd, I open doors for meaningful collaborations and opportunities.
2. During initial conversations, I prioritize understanding others’ goals and motivations. This helps build deeper relationships and quickly identifies the right connections.
3. I approach networking like hosting a dinner party—enthusiastic, making others feel valued, and extending genuine invitations. This mindset makes networking feel natural and enjoyable, fostering authentic connections.

.And don’t forget to subscribe on my YouTube channel, @creategrowprofit.