TED - 6 Ways to Make Better Connections Online | Margaux Miller | TED
The speaker highlights the evolution of networking from traditional methods to digital platforms, emphasizing the importance of meaningful online connections. They share personal anecdotes and practical tips for building strong online networks. Key strategies include focusing on quality relationships rather than collecting contacts, showing genuine interest in others, becoming a familiar face in relevant communities, and effectively following up after initial meetings. The speaker stresses the importance of thoughtful communication and maintaining relationships through regular follow-ups. They encourage using digital tools for personalization and research but caution against over-reliance on them. The talk concludes with a challenge to the audience to reach out to someone who can help them achieve their goals.
Key Points:
- Focus on quality connections, not quantity. Use the Pareto principle to prioritize relationships that yield the most results.
- Show genuine interest in others. Personalize your outreach and make the recipient feel special.
- Become a familiar face in relevant communities. Engage with content and participate in discussions to increase visibility.
- Follow up after meetings. Include specifics about your interaction to strengthen the connection.
- Use thoughtful communication. Avoid quick, impersonal responses and aim for meaningful exchanges.
Details:
1. 📧 The Perils of Impersonal Communication
1.1. Negative Reactions to Impersonal Communication
1.2. Consequences and Missed Opportunities
2. 🌐 The Evolution of Networking
2.1. Introduction to Networking Evolution
2.2. Change in Networking Practices
2.3. Past Networking Etiquette
2.4. Outdated Skills
2.5. Global Networking Reach
2.6. Networking for Job Placements
2.7. Online Connections and Opportunities
3. 📖 Crafting a New Playbook for Online Connections
- The speaker has developed a career focused on connecting people globally online, indicating a wealth of experience in digital networking.
- Six strategies are proposed to enhance online connections, distilled from the speaker's extensive global interactions, suggesting a practical and tested approach.
- To enhance clarity, each strategy should be broken down with brief explanations and potential examples or case studies to illustrate their application. This approach will make the strategies more actionable and relatable to diverse contexts.
4. 🤝 Tip 1: Connect, Don’t Collect
- Building a helpful community is not about numbers but about the quality and depth of relationships, emphasizing meaningful connections over quantity.
- Applying the Pareto principle: 20% of connections yield 80% of results, highlighting the significance of cultivating strong relationships.
- Having a clear goal and conducting thorough research before reaching out enhances first impressions and shows genuine interest.
- Example: Tali, seeking a remote job in community building, successfully landed a call by researching a contact's interests and personalizing her outreach.
- Showing genuine interest by referencing specific work, such as a presentation or article, helps build rapport and trust.
- Utilize AI and large language models for efficient research to personalize outreach, but remember they are tools, not solutions.
5. 🗣️ Tip 2: Don’t Make It About You
- Dale Carnegie emphasized the importance of being interested in others to foster relationships, stating you can make more friends in two months by showing interest in them than in two years by trying to get them interested in you.
- To make a message effective, it should include a clear purpose and call to action, and make the recipient feel special.
- A practical example demonstrated by Tali includes asking for a call about someone's career journey, making the conversation about the recipient's experience, which eases the recipient's decision to agree to the call as it requires no preparation.
- Messages without a clear purpose, such as simply "Hello" or "I would like to connect," often fail to engage the recipient as they lack a compelling reason to respond, reducing chances of further engagement.
6. 👥 Tip 3: Become a Familiar Face
- Engage with influential individuals by consistently interacting with their content, such as the example of connecting with Anna, who runs a global community for women in tech, leading to hosting an annual conference with executives from Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
- Increase visibility by joining online communities, groups, and forums to share expertise and identify key connections, ensuring proactive relationship building.
- Enhance networking success by tagging relevant individuals in discussions to boost visibility and engagement.
- Aim to avoid invisibility in online networking by building relationships proactively so they are available when needed, leveraging opportunities for collaboration and growth.
7. 🔗 Tip 4: Bring In-Person Online
- Networking continues beyond the event; follow up with connections by including specifics about your interaction.
- Take a photo with new contacts at events to help solidify memories and connections.
- Before attending conferences or visiting new cities, send tailored messages to potential contacts to establish connections in advance.
- Example: A pre-event LinkedIn message led to a speaking opportunity at the Czechia Chamber of Commerce and a local tour guide in Prague.
- Research potential contacts and share how you can assist them during your visit.
8. 💬 Tip 5: Lose the Emojis and Be Thoughtful
- Avoid using quick emoji responses as they can lack depth in communication.
- When receiving a new connection request, resist the urge to immediately sell or ask for something; instead, approach the interaction thoughtfully.
- Consider online conversations like digital tennis; aim carefully to understand and engage meaningfully rather than just responding quickly.
- Focus on understanding your conversation partner's perspective to provide meaningful thoughts, questions, or feedback.
- The art of conversation is a back-and-forth exchange, not just a one-sided response.
- Before responding with an emoji or immediate request, ensure you offer something of value that the other person can respond to.
9. 🔄 Tip 6: Follow Up or Fail
- 80% of building and maintaining relationships is simply staying in touch.
- Engage by sending a quick DM, text message, or email, and by being generous online through following, retweeting, commenting, and sharing.
- Share practical and supportive resources as a way of showing thoughtfulness and maintaining relationships.
- Always respond and say 'thank you' when someone connects with you or answers your questions to keep the communication open for future interactions.
- Initiate connections by thinking of one person who can help achieve your goals or provide feedback and reach out to them today to start building meaningful connections.
10. 🚀 Final Encouragement to Connect
- The video concludes with a heartfelt thank you, accompanied by cheers and applause from the audience, signifying the impact and appreciation of the message shared.