Yuck.  Networking is like a four letter word in business (well, it’s a 10 letter word, but you get my drift).  No one (I mean NO ONE) is ever excited to go to a networking event.  It’s like going to a birthday party and no one knows whose birthday it is so everyone acts like it’s their birthday.  And it’s not.  You fake making really good friends, trade business cards, and send a follow up email that afternoon.  Blech.  Here’s the thing.  Traditional networking sucks.  How about you spend real, solid time with people getting to know how you can help them?  Wanna know how to really “network”?  Here it is, in 3 easy steps (yay!):

1) Find the top 5 people in your field who you admire to the millionth degree.  And then ask them how you can help them.  Call ’em.  Shoot them an email.  Send their favorite flowers with a note from beautiful you.  Freakin’ woo them and never ONCE tell them what you do.  Listen to what they need and build a relationship with them.  It’s relationships that make connections and build networks, not business cards.

2) Do it over again with the next 5.  They deserve your love too.  Besides, spreading the love only spreads it back to you – and who can’t do with a little more love in their life?

3) Never ever ever ever ever (ever) lie to make a friend.  We all know how well that works out (and if you don’t you probably didn’t go to middle school)  Be authentic and let the gorgeous you that you are shine through.  Your business can wait for a little real life to happen.

Seriously, that’s it.  Networks don’t have a shot in hell of existing without PEOPLE, so why do we turn them into everything but actual real life people and relationships?  

Try it on – ask yourself how you can help someone else before you ask what’s in it for you.  Share a piece of you with a stranger over coffee.  Give from your heart and really listen.  You see, when you get real, your business will too.  And that, my friend, is what real networking is all about.  Yum.