Reach Out: The Simple Strategy You Need to Expand Your Network and Increase Your Influence

CHAPTER 1

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR FIRST REACH OUT

“NETWORK” IS PEOPLE YOU KNOW, NOT EVENTS YOU HATE ATTENDING

Off the bat, let’s reset what the words “network” and “networking” mean to you. Right now, both words probably conjure up something that seems unnecessarily stressful, such as a happy hour event where everyone brings stacks of business cards and most of us want to curl up in a ball as a direct result of all the small talk awkwardness. Push that thought away. Going forward, we will think of the word “network” as a shortened version of the phrase “the people you know.” “Network” is a noun, not a verb. You are building your network by meeting other people, not meeting other people by networking. The former is friendly and attainable; ...