Networking 101 - Nothing Beats a One-on-One

Networking 101 - Nothing Beats a One-on-One

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC. June 2010

Nothing beats a one-on-one!  Okay, this is really important so let me say it again!  Nothing beats a one-on-one!

Oh yes, I do know that we are in the middle (or perhaps even the start) of the technological age and that we can e-mail, twitter and instant message.  We can video conference and conference call and SKYPE and all the rest, but there is nothing quite like talking to someone in the flesh – up close and personal.

You get the whole picture, the body language, the eye contact, the various tones of the voice – yip – there’s nothing that beats the one-on-one.

Meeting someone for the first time at a networking meeting or event is great, but at those meetings all you will get is a fleeting glimpse of an individual and I, for one, always want to know more about the person that I am dealing with.

I want to know more about who you are and what it is that you do.  I want to know more about ‘you’ the person, the individual.  I want to know what your dreams are and what you wish for.

I want to know what your challenges are so that I can best understand who to connect you to, in order to assist you with overcoming those challenges.

And you know what . . .?  I want you to listen to who I am and what it is that I do.  I want you to hear what my dreams are and what my challenges are so that you can connect me with people who can assist me.  I want you to hear my dreams and my wishes so that you can also get to know me.

For sure – one-on-one meetings are very important!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za  or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za