There is one surefire path to success in networking and to success in life.  This “Golden Rule” should be memorized, understood and practiced each and every one of your 25,000 days on this earth:

GIVE VALUE.

It’s that simple.  The successful mindset is not, and never will be, “What can this person do for me?”  Those that practice social circle mastery will tell you that the successful mindset is, and always will be, “What can I do to add value to this person’s life?”

GIVE VALUE.

How do you know how to add value to someone’s life?  You ask.  You’d be surprised how rarely people hear the question: “Is there anything I can do to help you or your company?”  Another, more focused question is: “Can you give me some guidance on how I can recognize a good customer or connection for you?”

These questions are the key to building a powerful network and creating positive, lasting relationships.  Ask one in the beginning of a networking meeting and you will notice your contact’s tone completely shift.  Go on, try it!

There is one giant caveat. This works, but: YOU MUST BE SINCERE AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH REAL VALUE.

So, how does this work in the “real world”?  Here are some examples:

People are paid to work “within” a company, so the majority of the people you meet have limited networking opportunities outside of their firm. As someone who is networking, you can offer a great deal of value to them:

1. Share your networking skills: this includes new uses of LinkedIn, methods and templates for reaching out to possible contacts, etc.
2. Share your networking contacts: make introductions to people that can grow their business or become potential customers.
3. Provide intelligence: provide insight into companies that are doing deals, expanding sales teams, entering into new markets, etc.

For TAG Students that have executed their research project [TAG meeting #7], you have a tremendous amount of extra value you can offer to any business contact you meet:

1. A survey of what the company’s customers are thinking
2. Research on the company or competition
3. A summary of market trends
4. Ideas on inefficiencies and / or systems [TAG meeting #6]
5. Insight into the best practices of the companies with whom you’ve networked [although be careful not to divulge any trade secrets]

Even if you haven’t gone through TAG’s Mentorship Program [TAG’s program includes real examples of how to add / create value], there are many other areas where you can add value:

1. Show sincere appreciation [the world’s easiest way to add value; read How to Win Friends and Influence People]
2. Tell a joke [TAG meeting #3]
3. Give a toast [TAG meeting #3]
4. Recommend / share a great book you’ve read [professionally focused; see current Best-Sellers lists for ideas]

If you’re still at a loss, here’s a hint: To provide value to people, you must first determine their needs.  How do you do that?  You pay attention to keywords that reveal them, such as: want, wish, need, help, hope, hate, dislike, confused, etc.  All you have to do is listen.

There are many real world examples where people fall short of making a value-added impact on their audience.  Here are two responses from students applying for work at Groupereye.  Guess which one got the job offer?

“Hi my name is Jon and I love your site! I have looked around and think it is really great. I am a marketing student at UF and I think this would be a great tool for student organizations, faculty, and may create a following amongst career services. I also see businesses using your site to learn how a student works before hiring them. The site could also be sold as a way to get market research or student feedback. Do you offer internships? I think I could help out. Attached is my resume.”

“Hi, my name is Jon and I love your site! I can get 5 companies to post on your site, 200 students to sign up, and 4 different career centers to listen to you over the phone. Pay me $500 [after I get these things done] and set this up as an internship.”