Before you attend your first networking function, you need to realistically evaluate the skills you have and the skills you need. Through this evaluation, you can create a roadmap that will help guide your networking efforts. You also need to think about your own networking skills and the skills you need to acquire in order to attain your goals.

The Skills You Have to Offer

The central idea behind power networking is that you pay it forward by offering to help others. First, you need to consider your skill set and what you can offer to those you meet. What are the unique abilities that you can provide?

It’s often hard to recognize these skills by yourself. Few people have an objective understanding of their natural strengths and unique skills. It’s much easier to seek the opinions of others. How do you help others in your work or daily life? How have you helped others in the past? What have been your most outstanding achievements? These will reveal to you your true strengths.

The Skills You Need

Start with the goals you hope to achieve and determine which skills you need in order to achieve them. It’s not so important to worry about these skills at the outset since you’re going to focus first on helping others, but if you have these skills defined and in mind, you can seek the connections you need.

Your Networking Skills

There is a whole range of people skills needed in order to network effectively. It helps if you’re direct, honest, gregarious, and if you have the ability to find a connection with virtually anyone. These are the skills that help you meet others and build relationships.

Good Networking Skills Include:

• The ability to approach others – How hard is it for you to strike up a conversation with strangers or introduce yourself?
• Non-verbal communication – This includes eye contact and a firm handshake. How well do your posture and facial expressions match what you’re saying verbally?
• Conversation skills – Knowing when to interject, maintaining a balance between talking and listening, and keeping the conversation going.
• Listening – Listening is probably the most important skill in power networking. You need to pay attention to what others are saying in order to find commonalities.
• Self-confidence – You need to be able to communicate to others your expertise, knowledge, skills, and other benefits you offer them.
• Positivity – A big smile, plenty of enthusiasm and a positive feeling that inspires others.

Skills to Get You to Your Goals

There is another skill set that you should think about as you network – the skills you need to achieve your goals. Rather than offering up their skills to help you, your contacts may help you develop your own skills. Through interacting with them, you may realize new skills or improve current skills you need to reach your goals.

For example, if you’re networking in order to get a better job, you also need to acquire the skills needed to land that job. You may encounter a hiring manager and add him to your network, and he may teach you which skills you need to work on in order to get hired. If you’re networking to gain new customers, you may realize you need to work on your rapport-building skills.

Know Thyself

The point of evaluating these skills is to understand your own strengths and weaknesses. You should play to your natural strengths. If you’re good at finding commonalities with others, use the short time after you first meet someone to find connections. If you’re good at approaching strangers, make it a point to approach as many as possible at networking opportunities.

It’s even more important to understand your areas of weakness. You can work on these areas and improve them over time.