Elevator Networking Tactics

What is Networking?

Networking refers to a word which is related to the computer its connectivity. More often than not, it invokes ideas of the connectivity or the link in between two or more computers. Now wait a minute. That’s the easy one and definitely not the type of networking most of us want to know about. The part where it gets really hard is when one has to move out of the world of computers and digital devices in order to face and talk to real people. One of the main drawbacks of the advancements of information technology has been that most people are nowadays a lot more comfortable to talk over the phone, Email, SMS or other forms of digital person rather than in person. As a result, physical forms of networking are becoming more and more difficult for people to master with each passing day.

Networking essentially is the process of getting to know a person or a group of people who can help one in enhancing his/ her career prospects. The main aspect of networking is that once understood, it is extremely easy to master and one does not need any sort of degree or experience to be able to network efficiently and effectively. While it is great to be able to network easily due to the advent and development of digital technology and social media, one of the main places for an individual to network is the elevator.

Elevators as a networking tool?

Yes, you heard that right. Over time, elevators have proven to be one of the most successful networking tools and have played a tremendous role in enhancing numerous careers and putting individuals on the fast track to success and promotions. While there may be many forms of elevator networking and elevator networking tactics, the most common and the most important one is elevator networking in the workplace. In any normal workplace, there is bound to be a time when one is all alone in the elevator with the boss who is normally only accessible during the company AGM’s. Since, these few precious moments with the people who matter is all one may get, it is best to be prepared on how to tackle it. The main prerequisite for such cases is to always be prepared and have an effective elevator networking tactic ready. While most may argue that the best tactics are always spontaneous, elevator networking can actually become really tricky as one would get just about 20 seconds to make any sort of impression. As a result, there is no better elevator networking tactic that putting in some amount of effort and time behind mastering the art of elevator networking.

Top Elevator Networking Tactics

Since impromptu speeches might end up leaving one speechless, it is best to prepare one beforehand for those unforeseen moments where one may just have to stand up and deliver. Out of all such moments, the first 20 seconds spent all alone with the boss in the office elevator is the most important. These 20 seconds can either allow one to bag promotion after promotion or turn the person into a paper pusher. Thus, in order to create an effective elevator networking tactic, one must always try to make use of these three pointers.

– The universal truth and the first and foremost pointer is that you should never hesitate or chicken out. In simple English, an opportunity lost is an opportunity wasted.

– Secondly, there is no point delaying the inevitable. It is always best to start off with your gig at the first opportune moment since it gives you that much more time to create an impression.

– Finally, you need to sound respectful and yet supremely confident. There is an extremely thin line between sounding confident and sounding arrogant and you should ensure that this line is never crossed. The best way is to practice in front of a mirror for the umpteenth time until you are sure that you have mastered the tune.

However, understanding these pointers is not enough. You need to know how to fill up those 20 to 30 seconds which could change your life. Thus, constructing a step by step process for that 20 second impromptu speech is extremely important.

– The first and most important step is to introduce yourself and your occupation/ department of work/ organizational position in as few words as possible. The best way to handle it is to keep it simple and cough out only your name and position/ occupation.

– The next step is to establish yourself as a genuine person and not a pesky salesman. This is best done by offering your credentials. This is best accomplished by boasting about your recent performance appraisals and/ or any other awards or credits that you may have received in the recent past.

– With the second step taken care of, you need to make sure that you cover your current area or current project. This is as important as the first step since it enables you to connect with the other person and somewhat establishes a bond in between you and the other person. The most important aspect which most people ignore is to always try to have eye contact. This allows you to immediately foster a bond with the other person and makes your task a lot easier. It also allows you to read that blink of an eye when the person understands that both of you may share some common interests.

Never make a request in your first meeting

Once this link has been established and you have deciphered your common interests, you could either simply carry out conversing about the common topic by putting in your thoughts and ideas about it. It is strongly recommended not to ask for any sort of requests or favours in your first meeting as that would undo all the hard work that you just did. There shall always be a second time and therefore the first meeting should just be focused on building up your image in front of the other person in the elevator.