They Will Know When You’re Sincere

Posted on 12. Jan, 2012 by in Blog, Networking 20/20

If people can't trust what you say, you're not being sincere, and you're also not doing good networking. - Photo by Stuart Miles

I truly and sincerely believe that all of us, introverts and extroverts, can practice networking on daily basis and through it’s practice, better our lives.

‘Sincerely’ is the key word in that sentence. ‘Sincerely’ describes how I believe, and because I believe in that way, it can be said that I have a certain trait called ‘sincerity’ which means that I am a sincere person. To be sincere is to be open, honest and earnest. To not be deceitful. And sincerity is important if we are network successfully.

Sincerity is, by definition, something that you can’t fake. It is the absence of faking. It is truth. People will instinctively sense when you are being sincere with them, as opposed to when you aren’t. There will be something around the eyes, something in the upright way you hold yourself that will signal to them: this person believes in what they are saying. And they will listen to you because of it, and respect you.

Networking is not about saying what people want to hear. It is not about being sycophantic. When you become preoccupied with saying what your conversation partner wants to hear, you stop really contributing to the conversation. A lot of words may roll off your tongue, but none of them will be your own, and none of them will be worth listening to.

You have to be honest, above all. In previous weeks I’ve talked about the importance of just being yourself, and that means being honest, especially about what you think. Your opinions are just as valid as anyone else’s, and if they are truthful, they may add a dimension to the conversation that no one else could have contributed. Your own opinions will be original and interesting to those around you.

Sincerity is important in networking because it helps you to build a reputation as someone to be trusted, someone who speaks the truth, no matter what. Not many people have the courage to do that. This will be another small, positive way in which you’ll make yourself stand out from the crowd and demand recognition from the crowd for the person that you are. And the way to accomplish this is simple: just say what you think.