It has been estimated that each of us has a network of 250 people. That is the average number of people you could expect to come to your wedding or your funeral. In support of this theory, if given a little time, you could probably write down the names of 250 people - the people you know on a first name basis. Experts in networking will tell you how to leverage that network when you need it. They will teach you how to gain access into the networks of others. They will tell you that tapping the networks of others will exponentially increase the size of your own network.

Let's say you list the names of 50 people who you know. If each of them knows 50 people and they know 50 people and so on and so on, the numbers add up very quickly. So networking should be fairly simple. You simply contact the people you know, tell them what help you need and voila, the work of networking is complete. Alas, it doesn’t work that easily.

Just because you can list the names of 50 or 250 people, that doesn't mean that you can count on them to help you in the achievement of your goals. There are a number of traditional approaches to networking. Sadly, many of them do not get the job done. In their pursuit of simplicity, they overlook the basic human condition attached to networking.

This educational and motivational presentation debunks networking myths, points out common mistakes and provides practical suggestions to help you build and strengthen your network.

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