The Top Ten Traits of a Master Networker

Networking is a lot more than shaking hands and handing out business cards. It is about building “social capital”. A survey published in Masters of Networking, by Ivan Misner and Don Morgan, identified ten traits that make a master networker.

1. Timely follow-up on referrals. If you fail to follow up on referrals, you will stop receiving them. Following up and doing what you said by when fulfils your commitment to the referrer and builds up trust.

2. Positive attitude. A consistently negative attitude drives people, and referrals, away. A positive attitude, on the other hand, can make you a magnet and draw people, and business, towards you.

3. Enthusiasm/motivation. It’s been said that the best sales characteristic is enthusiasm. Your first job in your network is to sell yourself and enthuse others to sell you to their contacts. Enthusiasm aligns well with having a positive attitude.

4. Trustworthiness. When you refer one person to another, you are putting your own credibility on the line. You need to trust them, and vice versa they need to trust you, or they won’t be referring any business back to you.

5. Good listening skills. Success in networking depends on being able to listen and learn from the people around us. You need to learn how to represent your colleagues to your network, and to listen for the problems of others that are referral opportunities.

6. Commitment to networking 24/7. Master networkers are off duty only when they are asleep! And maybe not even then. With a Givers Gain mindset they are first and foremost looking for opportunities to be helpful to all the people they meet throughout the day.

7. Gratitude. Perhaps because it is so rare (sadly), expressing gratitude to business associates and clients is a great building block for cultivating relationships that will generate referrals. Thanking others will make you stand out from the crowd. And it is also the right thing to do!

8. Helpfulness. Master networkers keep their eyes and ears open to advance other people’s interests. They offer to help others because they genuinely want to help. And they get a kick out of it.

9. Sincerity. Without sincerity, all of the above is a waste of time! If you aren’t really interested in other people, it will show. Give people your undivided attention. Don’t let your phone interrupt you. Stop multitasking, make eye contact and show that you care for the person in front of you.

10. Dedicated to one’s network. It’s not net-sit or net-eat—it’s net-WORK. You need to work at building, maintaining and refreshing the relationships in your network. Set aside the right amount of time, manage your contact information and be prepared for the referral opportunities when they arise.

The key message, and the common thread through all ten traits, is Build mutually beneficial business relationships.

Action this week! Take an inventory of the ten traits. Do you exercise each of them always, usually, sometimes, rarely or never? Decide where you are not acting like a master, and do something about it!

This article is similar to an educational talk I gave at a BNI Premier networking breakfast. It is based on material in The 29% Solution by Ivan Misner.