Blog #4 Networking Blind Spot that You Didn't Know

Here I am again, #thecrazyVCguy. This  article talks about the blind spot that everyone, or most people, misses in the networking universe. I've learned this via my internship during the past three months by observing interactions among the founders of our investments. 

Okay, we all know that we have to follow up on emails, meetings, and blah blah, but that is Networking 101 which is universal. Here is a blind spot that 90% of the people misses. To begin, let's remind us the definition of networking. "Networking is not just about finding a job when you need it, it is about building relationships and creating the potential to be successful in the future."

#1 Blind spot, help others become successful.

Helping others become successful is equivalent to making a million dollar investment for your future. Per say, a friend comes up to you asking for a reference in the banking industry that you have, and you refuse to help because that is "using up your bridge" and you want to "save that favor" for yourself. Wrong.

First of all, think about it from the perspective of the person that is asking you. Once s/he gets into the industry, s/he will definitely help you get in down the road. Think about it, do you want a friend to get you into the firm, or do you want a "reference" to get you into the firm?  

Second, as I have mentioned before, it is all about building relationships. By interacting with your reference, you further strengthened that relationship rather than "used it up". Seriously, when was the last time you spoke to your reference in person? Perhaps you can ask your reference out to a coffee shop, lunch, or a casual dinner. Take this as an opportunity to get to know more about your reference and build a stronger relationship. By helping your friend, not only that you will reinforce the relationship you have, but your reference will also think of you as a nice person who's willing to help.

Helping others is beneficial for yourself. Start helping and make the investment. (yea, you can tell I work for a venture capital firm)

I have several personal experiences with both reasons, but they are too long to be written out. If you would like to, feel free to contact me via my email or LinkedIn, and I will share them with you.