Pro Networking Tips - Levels of Connection

Learn how to understand the different levels of connection in networking and what to avoid doing.

The Network San Diego

Although the speed at which a relationship develops between two people can vary widely, there are five basic steps involved in the process:

• Complete Stranger

• Casual Acquaintance

• Friendly Acquaintance

• Personal Friend

• Trust Ally

People often make the mistake of trying to move too quickly through the connection levels. They try to go from Complete Stranger to Trusted Ally in the first or second meeting- and that’s unrealistic. Forming a genuine lasting personal or professional relationship takes time and the process cannot be rushed.

Pro Tip: You can set the stage for relationships to develop more quickly by the way you initiate and conduct networking conversations.

Networking starts by creating a personal connection. People like associating with other people with whom they feel some sort of bond due to shared interests or experiences.

Getting to that stage is a process of developing some level of:

• Commonality

• Likeability/Affinity

• Credibility

• Trustworthiness

When you meet someone for the first time at a networking event, your first objective is to learn something about the other person and find a common connection - one on which you can begin to build a professional relationship.

At the end of the day networking is really about making contacts with new people- getting to know them as individuals, learning what they do, and learning about what they need. Sometimes you are the one who can personally help them address their need; sometimes you may not be able to help them directly, but you know someone who can.

Experience a better way to network. Join our community of professionals and discover the exclusive benefits available when you become a member today.

The Network San Diego