How To Use The Power Of Your Network with Andy Lopata

<h4>How many contacts do you have and what do they do for you? This is a good question to ask yourself. By the time we reach out 40's most of us should have at least 1,000 contacts in our email and phone list. If you stayed in contact with them and you did each other favours that is a lot of people on your side helping out.</h4><p><br></p><p>But few of us actually maintain our network, let alone benefit from it.</p><p><br></p><h2>Stay connected</h2><p><br></p><p>Seems crazy in a World of digital communication and social media that we would be talking about how to stay connected. The reality is though that many of us do not keep in contact with people from our past. Blimey, some of us barely speak to the important people in our lives right now!</p><br><p>It is important though. Whether it is an email, phone call, birthday or anniversary message, or even a good old Christmas card, the value of staying connected to people will constantly reward you. </p><br><p>Of course it takes some effort but it soon becomes a routine. A few minutes each day on social media, a personal text message or phone call on their birthday. People appreciate it and the more you do it the more normal it becomes. </p><br><p>Many of my friends know that I stay in contact with lots of randoms from the past. Bizarely they ask me how those people are rather than call them themselves. That's ok though. I get to be the person others come to.</p><p><br></p><h2>Be of service</h2><p><br></p><p>When you are interested in other people they cannot but help be interested in you. Well....most of them! </p><br><p>It's basic conversation. It goes back and forth; when you ask "How are you?" they ask you back. Don't then jump straight into what you are doing and what you want. It doesn't work.</p><br><p>You need to ask how they are, ask what they are working on, and ask if there is anything you can do to help them with that.</p><br><p>This goes for networking also. If you want to be effective at networking events then these are the three questions to constant