I CAME ACROSS THIS QUESTION ON LINKEDIN, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE ARE DOING IN OUR NETWORKING ACTIVITIES IF WE WANT TO GET THE BEST RESULTS.

What can/does networking do for your professional reputation?

By “professional reputation”, I mean how people view you as a professional both in the meeting room and outside the office. Your integrity, respect, intelligence, and impact on those around you. When you network through LinkedIn, how can professional networking relate to all these areas?

My Answer:

Networking creates visibility for you, people know who you are and have a face to put with a name. Quality networking can indeed enhance your reputation and create credibility for you. Poor networking can create a different reputation. People who drink too much, people who pitch and pressure others about their product or service and people who show up in person with a very poor professional image, create a whole different reputation, not the one they may have wanted.

I know there’s a person on Linkedin who consistently puts stupid, meant to be funny, answers to peoples questions, he thinks he is cute, many others think very differently, so he has a reputation, it just may not be the one he wants.

Online or in person, it is very important to mind your manners, behave professionally, don’t be a know it all, participate, answer questions intelligently, follow up with people, become known as someone who does what they say and always Give before asking to Get. You will be well respected, thought of as someone who is intelligent and connected.