How Networking Can Change Your Life

This article is written by Nardine B. M’barek, a Contributor Author at Startup Istanbul.

Nazareno Mario Ciccarello is a Multinationals Development Manager at BFF Banking Group, he worked previously with Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited which is an investment company that develops, manufactures, markets, and sells pharmaceutical products and sells them mainly in China. He was one of our guests during Startup Turkey 2017 and delivered a very informative workshop related to networking and the way it could affect your life in the long term.

Mr. Nazareno Mario Ciccarello is the founder and the creator of the idea concerning ‘Drive Gum’; the little pieces of gum that are energy-stimulant, and help drivers stay awake, alert, and concentrated on their driving, without falling asleep behind the wheel, which would possibly help prevent car accidents and crashes of which between 10% and 20% are the result of drivers sleeping behind their wheels. Mr. Ciccarello related his experience with ‘Drive Gum’ to what networking is, and how it can change anyone’s life.

He started his talk about networking by simply delivering the definition of ‘networking’ itself. Before defining networking, let’s start by what is not networking. A lot of people think that talking to large groups of people whether separately or collectively, or even saving hundreds and thousands of friends on Facebook and LinkedIn is called networking, but that is an awfully wrong idea.

Networking is not collecting people and keeping them on your list under the motto that says “The largest the better”, but that is definitely not the case. The actual key to networking is keeping your relationships with those people alive. You need to get closer to them and talk to them if not on a daily basis, rather often. It is not only about building it, but it is also about keeping it alive. You need to think about what you could offer to your network. If you need something from those people, the first thing you should do is to give first in order to earn back.

If you are shy and always stay within the circle of your close friends, then you could use the help of your friends in order to introduce you to other people that could help you furthermore in the future. You need to start building your network whether you are shy or not.

Networking activities and opportunities are fundamental. It is going to take time to build that network, but how exactly do you build it? In order to do that, there are three aspects that need to be there; a person that you know, like, and most of all trust. If these things do not co-exist within your network, then you won’t be able to build strong relationships and network.

Networking helps you create connections and relationships while thinking of the future. Another fundamental key to get this is follow up. It is not about stalking people, you have to be professional, and learn how to follow up your connections professionally.

You need to learn how to really connect and the re-connect, you can use business cards or social media to do that. Of course, you need to keep in touch with people, it quite easy to do that. Effective networking will help you a lot in the future if you are in need of a certain skill or something, one of your connections could have it, that is how much power and privileges networking could give you when you learn how  to build a good network.

https://vimeo.com/208889394