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Michelle J. Wall is an Area Manager for Dale Carnegie Training and is based out of Eide Bailly LLP’s Bismarck office. She’s a performance coach who works with individuals and teams to sharpen their skills and drive business results for organizations. She grew up on the family farm near Mercer, ND, and graduated from NDSU. Drop Michelle a note if you have an idea or question. mwall@eidebailly.com

The Power of Networking

Networking is an important part of any job. Heck, it’s a big part of why we all joined YP. It can help us get fresh ideas and perspectives to enhance the way we work. Here are a few tips for making your networking a success.

Make an effort to remember names. Keep in mind that a person's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language to them. People naturally feel friendly toward you if you've made the effort to remember this one important fact about them. And, because you took the effort, they'll likely feel you're already a friend.

Create conversations and be a good listener. People love to talk about themselves. (If you don’t believe me, check out the posts you see on Facebook or Twitter.) So go ahead and encourage it. All you have to do is ask a few leading questions and most people will keep the conversation going. Get people talking and before you know it, you'll have plenty of fresh contacts lined up.

Become genuinely interested in other people. The key word here is “genuine.” Being a good listener is important, but the next step to keeping up the relationship is to really care about these people. Remember things about their personal lives or their jobs and sincerely show you care. It doesn't take much of your time to make people feel as though you truly care about them, but it will forge lasting relationships that will help you throughout your career.

These are some truly easy ways to enhance your relationships with people, both in your personal and professional life. Don’t worry if you’re not the one doing all the talking. There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth, right? In most cases, it’s best to listen and then share to form a real bond.

These suggestions can help you make contacts and friends who can assist you for years to come.

Read Michelle's past columns here