‘Know, Like, Trust’ are the three key stages we want to develop in all our networking relationships (and all other relationships too!). But what does it actually mean as we build relationships? To take each in turn:
Know – the first stage is of course getting to know someone we’ve first met. As we chat, we should find out more about each other. And ideally, not just their job and business, but finding out about them and what
they like to do when they’re not working.
they like to do when they’re not working.
Like – it helps if you get to the stage of liking each other! This doesn’t mean you have to immediately become best friends. It just means that by chatting, listening and showing interest, you’ll develop rapport and
common ground.
Trust – as the relationship develops, trust is the key factor. If you now know and like someone, you’re much more likely to trust them with information and your contacts and clients. And of course, vice versa. This is when your networking contact has become a gateway to multiple introductions.
Developing know, like and trust relationships takes time and effort. But the more we do it and the longer we do it for, the more these relationships helps us to do our jobs, win work and build our businesses.