Solution: Schedule regular communication. A lack of drive and determination to “exercise” meaningful connections will only result in relationship atrophy. If your efforts to connect or stay in touch border on the apathetic, you need to shape up, perhaps in more ways than one. Solution: Congratulate others on their successes instead of stewing on what you haven’t yet accomplished. Set your own relationship goals based on what you have to offer your network, not what you seek to gain from them. Don’t focus on what others have or the connections others have made. If you’re building yourself up at the expense of others by putting them down, your need for the spotlight will backfire. Solution: Balance group messages for general announcements by inviting personal responses of interest. By default, “mass” is mutually exclusive of “personal.” If you’re sending mass emails or group texts in an effort to save yourself time but at the expense of over-sharing information, you risk losing the right to be taken seriously. Responding in anger can destroy your reputation and your relationships. Solution: Consider communication carefully. The power of a smile and laughter can produce priceless and ever-expanding opportunities, but the consequences of discourtesy are immediately and potentially irreversibly destructive. If you read an email with unintended sarcasm or interpret a short missive as an angry one, you might be tempted to reciprocate in kind. Do what you said you’d do or send what you promised and let the rest happen naturally. Solution: You can’t force someone to reciprocate. Nobody invites crossing the line of acceptable and professional efforts with that of becoming a pest. If you’re too eager or “lusting” after the attention of others, your otherwise professional efforts can lead to a very unprofessional reputation. Solution: Focus your messages and offerings on the interests and needs of your audience, not what you’re looking to promote. Reversing that sequence will surely prevent it.
If your concerns are your only concerns, why should others care about you? But when you seek to meet others’ needs and do a great job, they’ll be more inclined to reciprocate. You might even score bonus exposure by reaching beyond your network. Solution: Share your accomplishments and the spotlight with those who contributed to your success. Crafting a false image is a turnoff to all. Toot your horn too often or too loudly and all you can expect is a wave of unreturned messages and deleted connections. If you don’t believe in you, who will? Self-promotion requires tact. Build your reputation and your business by avoiding these seven deadly sins of relationship management: Whether you associate the “seven deadly sins” with medieval religious teachings or modern-day entertainment, they can be applied here. Exactly how do you make the most of every introduction? Let’s start with what not to do.
From networking events to social networking sites, opportunities to meet new connections abound.
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