Networking is essential for career growth and advancement – and for personal and professional development. In today’s business world, having a strong network offers you a significant professional advantage. It can also lead to health insurance referrals and new business.
With that in mind, here are nine do’s and don’ts for building your network.
- Do prepare. Establish your goals, identify and research potential targets, prepare questions (and small talk ideas, just in case).
- Do refine your elevator pitch. You cannot always predict when – or where – opportunities to network will happen. It’s important to be ready at any time. Limit your pitch to 30 seconds if possible. Don’t forget your business cards, too.
- Do ask open-ended questions. Take notes. Engage in active listening. Smile.
- Do make outreach a part of your plan when attending conferences. Trade shows and conferences can be an excellent place to make connections to expand your network. Design your schedule with your networking goals in mind. Check the event agenda for potential speakers who may be on your target networking list. (For other tips, read our related blog, 5 Tips for Turning Insurance Networking Events and Professional Gatherings into Future Sales Opportunities.)
- Do prioritize your follow up. Your networking doesn’t end after you’ve met and exchanged contact information. It’s important you keep the conversation going. After your first discussion, send a note of gratitude. Highlight one or more of the points shared in your conversation, so your new connections remember you.
- Don’t focus on quantity; quality is more important. Focus on developing a mutually beneficial relationship with a few connections, rather than a one-sided or meaningless connection with many individuals. Take the time to discover what you have in common.
- Don’t turn your back on past connections. People move around a lot. That means if you haven’t been in contact with someone in your network for a while, your renewed outreach could create a opportunity to reconnect. Reach out and ask for professional updates or invite your past connections to meet in real life and discuss what’s new – and how you might be able to help one another.
- Don’t be afraid to connect online. While it’s great to connect in person with others, you shouldn’t overlook opportunities to connect using a network like LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter). You can increase the size of your existing network in no time. But don’t be overzealous. You don’t want to be labeled a spammer. Make your outreach more personal.
- Don’t burn bridges. As mentioned above, there’s a lot of movement in our industry. People move from the carrier side of the business to the agency or general agency side. Others end up moving to state regulatory roles. It’s important to always be respectful of others in case you meet them again in the future.
Developing and nurturing personal and professional relationships through networking builds trust. It can help you open the door to new opportunities as well as personal and career growth. Making the effort is sure to reap dividends for years to come.
Your Word & Brown rep can also help you expand your network by introducing you to others. That includes those who are influencing our industry at the regional, state, and federal level. If you’re not already working with W&B, it’s easy to get started. Visit our website and register today or call 800.869.6989.
Best of luck in your networking efforts.
