Video Playback: How Women Network Differently to Men with Kelly Hoey

What better way for us to start 2022 than with our pal Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network and one of the best in the business when it comes to understanding and growing your best possible network. Kelly joined us on 18 January and we knew this would be an hour of pure gold as we delved into the world of ‘Women & Networking’ understanding both the nuances and overtly different ways women approach networking, building their networks and leveraging that connectivity over time.

It’s an 'ALL CHANGE ALL CHANGE' situation and Kelly is in the midst of all building out all the data as she writes her new book on this very subject.

1. We use our whole selves and all our senses when networking or at least should be doing this if not doing so already - watch, listen and speak

2. Be intentional, purposeful and specific (not to the exclusion of broader network but when looking at your tier 1). Know the difference between narrow-deep and broad-shallow networks. Women typically have former and men the latter. Successful women have both abs curate them

3. Build Your network and curate it before you need it

4. Separate out the busy word ‘networking’ and focus on rather structure of your network

5. Get comfortable with asking/talking to people you don’t know ‘deeply’

6. Always follow up and say thank you (that’s a given) but do more than that and engage with them moving forward. Share and comment on their content. Make useful introductions or tell them how their advice has been put to effect

7. Be mindful and be sure to undertake ‘little human acts’ - Offer to help someone if you can - Make a comment on someone’s blog. This helps to build rapport and build ‘acquaintance level’ bonds which can be plenty good enough

8. Ditch the idea that the ‘gift of the gab’ equates to automatically being an uber networker. Introverts and ambiverts make awesome networkers because they listen

Thanks Kelly 🙏 for joinging us and AwakenHub Co-founder Mary Carty for asking all the great questions.

Team AwakenHub