Networking: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.

Networking is the process that encourages an exchange of information and ideas among individuals or groups that share the same interests.

Networking: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

  • Makes business cards and promotional materials that present one as a polished professional
  • Vocalizes own strengths, successes, and previous experiences, when having a meeting with other business associates and professionals in order to impress and make new connections
  • Signs up for appropriate social networking sites such as LinkedIn in order to connect easily with new contacts
  • Keeps a website with one's professional experience in order to save time spent enumerating own skills to a new contact
  • Identifies one's goals and focuses on them when having a meeting with business professionals
  • Joins professional groups and attends local events that are sponsored by professional organizations in order to make new business connections
  • Brings a cell phone or a small contacts book when attending events or meetings in order to exchange contact information with potential business partners
  • Presents oneself as someone helpful, appealing and worth knowing in order to achieve one's networking goals much more effectively
  • Attends community functions such as job fairs or local festivals in order to meet new people and get the name of one's company recognized by the community
  • Pursues a hobby like painting or sporting in order to create strong connections founded on similar interest

Networking: Meets Expectations Phrases

  • Leaves blanks spaces in a business card just in case a new contact needs to jot down additional information about what one does
  • Uses social media to stay abreast of new developments in one's field and to know the status of projects one is interested in
  • Dresses well, looks sharp and conducts oneself respectfully in order to make a good first impression when meeting potential business partners
  • Tries to remember every topic one discusses with each person one meets in order to establish a familiar connection next time one meets them
  • Creates time to review the names and details of new contacts in order to get ready for future appointments
  • Uses professional language when interacting with online and physical clients
  • Scans one's feed on social media in order to see what is happening in one's corner of the business world and track competition
  • Takes a close look at the resources and network that one already has in place and creates new opportunities from them
  • Balances the amount of talking one does with the amount of talking the other person does, in order to know when to ask questions, while networking
  • Follows up with casual contacts in order to try and build a potential long-term business relationship

Networking: Needs Improvement Phrases

  • Treats customers, clients, and other business associates as opportunities and cash cows
  • Builds relationships that only benefit oneself; is not honest, sincere or ready to build something that will benefit both parties
  • Moves on after an introduction because one believes that the other person is not good enough for one's business
  • Attends networking events but remains in the company of a friend or colleague one attended the event with
  • Gives a business card to people one has not spoken with, or those who don't seem interested in what one has to offer
  • Regularly forgets to keep a note of people one promised to follow up
  • Stays talking to a person one already knows instead of interacting with those one doesn't know
  • Comments on other people's blogs only when one wants to get others to read one's own blog
  • Stays for over a month without picking up the phone to connect with a new person
  • Awkwardly forces oneself into people's conversation in order to grab their attention and get contacts

Networking: Self Evaluation Questions

  • Which methods have you used to find new business connections? Why? Which one of these methods have you found to be the most effective?
  • What qualities do you look for in professionals when networking?
  • Describe a networking event that changed your career life. What was the event about? What happened?
  • How do you make sure to keep in touch with a new contact after the first meeting?
  • How has making new connections improved your professional and personal skills?
  • What value have you added to the new connections you have made? How do you make them feel part of your team?
  • How have you helped your networking partners to get to know each other and help each other out?
  • What are some of the things you don't like about networking events and networking in general?
  • Is there a time when you have lost a great client due to poor networking techniques? What happened? What have you done to improve your networking skills?
  • What do you do when a client turns you down or shows no interest in what you have to offer? Give two examples of when this happened

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