This month’s book helps you connect with the world through networking, as Jupiter Humphrey-Bishop MIH and Harsh Sodhani AIH together, explore the psychology and strategies needed to ‘Make Your Contacts Count’ (Second edition), by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon.
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‘Make Your Contacts Count’ (Second edition) by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon | Review by Jupiter Humphrey-Bishop MIH and Harsh Sodhani AIH
‘Make Your Contacts Count’ will be an invaluable addition to professional toolkit of any networking enthusiast. The book transcends the superficial understanding of networking and dives deep into the strategies and philosophies that truly make connections meaningful and beneficial.
In Part One, the authors emphasise the importance of self-assessments and mindset adjustments before diving into any networking activities. ‘Assess Your Skills’ serves as a comprehensive guide to evaluating your current networking abilities.
The authors’ positive encouragement to “believe the best about yourself and others” fosters a proactive networking approach, crucial for first impressions and building relationships in the hospitality industry.
The book outlines the six stages of relationship development, offering actionable advice on progressing through each of these stages, making an instrumental refinement in your approach. This chapter will equip you with the skills to nurture relationships effectively, ensuring they evolve beyond initial meetings.
The authors valuably tie networking efforts to personal and professional objectives in chapter five’s ‘Go with your goals’, guiding you on sizing projects to match your purposes and assessing your network to plan strategic positioning.
There are numerous opportunities to get involved with our industry and in the chapter ‘Making the most of your memberships’ you’ll understand how joining organisations can not only take your network to the next level, but help you discover and connect with more people to open exciting career doors. The writers encourage you not just to join, but to join in, allowing you to grow and fully develop your character and potential.
Networking is a two-way flow, a process of give and gain, so consider how the benefits of giving first to others allows you not only to become a resource for your contacts but also to further your relationships.
In the chapter ‘Orchestrate who knows you’, you’ll learn how to demonstrate your skills and expertise to discover new career directions. Jump right in with techniques such as planning ahead, coming up with a purpose, learning how to ‘act like a host not a guest’, helping others connect and of course, talking to people you do not know.
Jupiter comments: “Make your Contacts Count, has transformed my approach to networking . I have learnt key lessons which include, valuing quality over quantity, building genuine trust, overcoming shyness, and strategically aligning networking activities with career goals. These insights will significantly enhance my ability to create meaningful, lasting professional connections as I look forward to going deeper into networking.”
Jupiter and Harsh consider this book to be a great educational read for anyone looking to step up their networking skills and develop their career connections.
This review and rating is the opinion of the reviewer.
5 stars = Exceptional not to be missed | 4.5 stars = Essential read | 4 stars =Very good | 3 stars = Good | 2 stars = Poor | 1 star = Very poor
Suitability: This book is suitable for any hospitality professional who wants to improve or obtain more effective networking skills to help their current role or achieve career goals.
This book fits into the Business / Leadership / Team under the IoH’s Five Pillars off Learning, a new approach to CPD professional learning and development based on the five core areas of hospitality management.
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