How To Be A Super Connector and Increase Your Value

What Is A Super Connector and How to Be one to Increase Your Value

If you want to have a strong network and advance your career, then learning how to be a super connector is key. A super connector is someone who makes a genuine connection with many different people from personal to business contacts, builds a relationship, and connects them to others.

If the first thing that comes to mind when you meet someone is how they would be a good fit for something or would enjoy meeting another person you know, then you are a super connector!

Being a super connector increases your value in the workplace and in social circles because you are genuinely making different connections and fostering them into relationships that turn into collaborations and partnerships.

I’m excited to share tips on how to be super connector, building relationships, and making the most of the contacts you make on Speak Up With Laura Camacho, Ph.D. Podcast! Laura’s podcast is ranked number 2 in the world for communication podcasts. Listen to Be A Super Connector with Sarah Sofia Knepp Episode 190 on Spotify and on iTunes here!

Networking can be difficult, especially if you’re an introvert or have been out of the game/remote for a while. I’m passionate about connecting with people and facilitating a connection for others, from professional to social circles, and will share techniques and why it’s important to be a super connector.

It truly is a pleasure when I’m able to connect people. It doesn’t always have to be an immediate call to action. Relationship building takes time, but the key is having those personal skills that will follow you anywhere in life and make you stand out.

We tend to think of networking as a big event or happy hour where we have to be on. However, networking can take many forms from a warm smile during a brief conversation to a thoughtful email.

Your smile is a powerful tool for communication, conveying warmth and friendliness. Even if you’re on a call try smiling more when you’re speaking. You’ll be amazed by the positive impact it has on your delivery and how it’s received.

Your trademark is how you make others feel and is an important aspect of building lasting relationships. If you can make a positive impression on someone, they are more likely to remember you and want to engage with you again.

Invest in Conferences and Retreats Where Genuine Connections Happen

Invest in conferences and retreats where genuine connections happen, which will help build relationships to collaborate and create in the future. The smaller break-out sessions at a conference, one on one conversations in the hall or the small retreats are where the real connections and relationships happen. You build relationships over shared connections, such as your experience in your field of business, your experience at the conference, where you live, your hobbies etc. This by far has led to more relationships, collaboration, and partnerships than any speaker or slide presentation for me and most people I know.

I met Laura and her sister on the last day of the Southern Coterie Summit 8 years ago. Southern C is a vibrant community of women entrepreneurs. We had similar experiences, where we came to the conference alone and attended sessions and small dinners with all new people. It was hard and uncomfortable, but my chance encounter with Laura has led to several partnerships over the years with her savvy communication skills and storytelling. From partnering with former US Senate colleague to several podcast guests. Connect, Collaborate, Create.

I just returned from a retreat with content creators and bloggers, some of whom are highly successful and technical in SEO. We each have our strengths and expertise to offer and have so much to learn from each other. It was a relaxed atmosphere where we connected and have plans to collaborate and partner in the future.

Following Up Is An Easy Way To Be A Super Connector

After you meet someone or had that conversation follow up with a simple email. Use your connection with them of shared interests, which sets you apart and helps to build the relationship and trust.

When you have something in common like golf or tennis then you can foster that relationship in a more casual setting. You’re more likely to talk about your work performance, goals, promotion, in a relaxed setting where you don’t feel pressure to be buttoned up.

Send A Genuine Introduction Email

Sending a genuine introduction email to two or more people that have something in common and might be a good fit professionally or socially is an easy way to be a super connector! This does not directly impact you, but rather gives you value in connecting others, especially in business, with no expectations. People are more likely to keep you in mind for future partnerships or positions when you’ve provided them invaluable resources.

Posting on LinkedIn

Just like other forms of networking, LinkedIn has become a valuable resource for connecting with people professionally. LinkedIn has evolved over the years from a job search site to a place where you can build your personal brand.

For example, when people leave a company you lose track of them because all you have is their work email. However, using LinkedIn as a professional resource helps you to stay in touch where ever they may go. You never know if you’ll need to reach out to them in the future for professional advice, recommendation, or a new position. It’s all about making a connection, building a relationship and trust and fostering it over time. To do that you need to have a strategy.

Your LinkedIn profile should showcase your personal branding. One of the services I provide is doing a social media audit to assist in personal branding. Can you figure out that you’re in IT or Finance or lead a team from your profile and posts? If not then you know you need to tweak your profile and post to more about what you do professionally so that you are representing your personal brand.

Add featured posts to the top of your LinkedIn

Looking for job? Make sure you have open to work selected so that recruiters can see that you’re available!

Post consistently. Start small with posting once a month. Then try posting once week.

Post something that inspires you, highlight an achievement, why you’re in finance, IT, marketing, events etc.

Your post should be engaging with a description. Break up your copy into small sentence paragraphs that are easy to read. Don’t be afraid to use emojis.

Engage with your connections. Like, comment and save their posts. When you comment you’re not only bringing value to them but are being seen by others. You never know who might find your comment insightful and check out your profile and want to build a relationship or offer you a position.

Use relevant hashtags to LinkedIn by researching hashtags. Follow those hashtags and engage with content. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve noticed brands, businesses etc. use hashtags that either have very little traction or are hashtags for other social media platforms like Instagram.

Tips For A Successful Event

The key to any successful event large or small such as conferences, meetings or dinner parties is having a plan or an agenda.

I always have an outline of the event and timeline with all the action items and deadlines. It’s overwhelming to see all the action items all at once. Breakdown the action items by month and week(s) of when they need to be completed.

Have it written into your contract that you have the rights to photos or video to promote your business. This was a hard lesson to learn when I had it in writing from a client and then she tried to start her own party planning business using my content without my authorization or giving me credit while asking me to take down any content I had published.

Make sure you listen to Be A Super Connector episode for more and check out all the great communication episodes on Speak Up with Laura Camacho! I’m an avid listener and always learning something new.

Laura has a wealth of information that she provides her listeners on the podcast. However, if you’re looking for go-to guide to getting your message across the finish line-whether it’s a presentation, meeting, or high-stakes conversation, then you’ll love her book The Practical Guide To Effective Communication! You can find it in our Amazon Shop here.

Learn more about how Laura and I met through the Southern C here and about our services at Sarah Sofia Productions here.