24 Best Books on Networking

Abandon the networking-for-networking’s-sake mentality in favor of a more powerful and effective approach to creating and enhancing connections.

STOP NETWORKING. Seriously, stop doing it. Now. It is time to ditch the old networking-for networking’s-sake mentality in favor of a more powerful and effective approach to creating and enhancing connections. In Superconnector, Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh reveal a new category of professionals born out of the social media era: highly valuable community-builders who make things happen through their keen understanding and utilization of social capital. Superconnectors understand the power of relationship-building, problem-solve by connecting the dots at high levels, and purposefully cause different worlds and communities to interact with the intention of creating mutual value.

How can you become a Superconnector? Gerber and Paugh share instructive anecdotes from a who’s who roster of high achievers, revealing how to systematically manage a professional community and maximize its value. Of utmost importance is practicing Habitual Generosity, acting on the knowledge that your greatest returns come when you least expect them, and that by putting others’ needs first the good karma will flow back to you tenfold. Gerber and Paugh also explore winning strategies such as The Art of Selectivity, a well-honed ability to define which relationships matter most for you and decide how you will maintain them over time. Full of helpful advice on how to communicate with anyone about anything, Google-proof your reputation, and much more, Superconnector is a must-read for those seeking personal and business success.

Quotes from Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships that Matter;

“People, not money, are your most important assets; great things in business happen when the right people come together.”

“It’s not about knowing others; it’s about knowing where you thrive, how you connect [and] your favorite conversation starter.” (behavioral investigator Vanessa Van Edwards)

“If someone has a problem that needs solving, you want to be the first person they call.”

“Networkers like to ‘work the room’ and collect cards, but those cards don’t really mean much if the other person isn’t willing to take your calls.” (Ferrazzi Greenlight consultant Keith Ferrazzi)

“Most people approach relationships asking what they can get. Instead, they should focus on what they can give.” (106 Miles meetup co-founder Adam Rifkin)

“Superconnectors know that their greatest returns come when they least expect them, and by putting others’ needs first the good karma seems to flow back to them tenfold.”

Networking has garnered a reputation as a sort of necessary evil. Some people relish the opportunity to boldly work the room, introduce themselves to strangers, and find common career ground—but for many others, the experience is awkward, or even terrifying.

The common networking advice for introverts are variations on the theme of overcoming or “fixing” their quiet tendencies. But Karen Wickre is a self-described introvert who has worked in Silicon Valley for thirty years. She shows you how to embrace your quiet nature and “make genuine connections that last, that we can nurture across the world for all kinds of purposes” (Chris Anderson, head of TED).

Karen’s “embrace your quiet side” approach is for anyone who finds themselves shying away from traditional networking activities, or for those who would rather be curled up with a good book on a Friday night than out at a party. With compelling arguments and creative strategies, this “practical, easy-to-use” (Sree Sreenivasan, former chief digital officer of Columbia University) book is a perfect guide.

Quotes from Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count;

“Networking is one of those things most of us think of as a chore – an unloved task to undertake when we need something.”

“Everyone you know, have met in passing or even follow online is a potential connector to others and a potential link to job leads.”

“If you’re adept at communicating online, you can make meaningful connections well beyond the people you’d be likely to meet in person.”

“Learn from others – whether it’s for a job opening, medical advice, travel destination, career change or really getting any kind of foothold.”

“Networking doesn’t have to be a chore, and with luck, it will serve a greater purpose for you than just counting up your contacts.”

Meet the twelve people that can accelerate your success – in business and in life.

It’s Who You Know is the long-awaited handbook to effective, productive and influential networking. Having the right relationships is more important than ever before, but digital connectivity and social media has changed the landscape. Social media has made networking easy, but has it made it better? In an age of digital disconnect, having the right relationships is more important than ever before with more and more of us reporting we feel disconnected from social media. Networking is no longer about collecting business cards and meeting thousands of people online or offline; it’s about knowing the right people, and nurturing those relationships. You only need 12 – or even just four. Approached strategically, this comparatively small network will provide the strength, diversity and opportunities to help you achieve your personal and professional goals. This book shows you who you need to know, how to get to know them and how to make value a two-way street. Action plans, checklists and an online diagnostic tool help you start taking steps right away, and the emphasis on “doing” over endless planning gives you the motivation you need to get up and go.

The old adage “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know” has never been more applicable than it is today. The problem is that many of us “know” thousands of people across social networks, but how many of those people truly know you and how many of them are truly connected to you? It’s time to clear out the network clutter and identify those who actually add value to your professional and personal development.

• Master the art of real and influential strategic networking in a noisy and disconnected online world
• Learn who you need in your circle, and how to find them
• Nurture and maintain your professional relationships
• Leverage your power network to accelerate your career

Today, jobs are filled before they’re advertised and previously unthought-of collaborations appear out of nowhere. Networking has become a critical factor for success. It’s Who You Know brings networking into the modern era, and shows you a strategic approach to making it work for you.

Quotes from It’s Who You Know: How a Network of 12 Key People Can Fast-Track Your Success;

“There are ways of giving our confidence a workout, and the more we work it, the stronger our confidence levels will become.”

“You are the one who decides whether you are good enough: nobody else.”

“A small, strategic and supercharged network relies on collaboration and connection. But most of all the process must be fun! Don’t forget to enjoy the ride and the journey as the magic happens.”

“Be clear on what your goals and aspirations are, how others can help you achieve them, and how you can help them in return.”

“Many of us feel overwhelmed by choice, with no idea where to start when it comes to building a network.”

“I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues.” (President Franklin D. Roosevelt)

In a world focused on high tech networking, Darrell Gurney reveals how old-fashioned yet innovative high touch wins hearts, minds, and opportunities for the savvy job seeker or career expansionist. Drawing on basic principles of human psychology, Gurney shows readers how to open doors to influential players in their fields of interest to gain top-of-mind awareness and top-drawer connectedness.

Through 10 simple and easy-to-follow principles, Gurney teaches readers how to create powerful relationships with anyone, anywhere, for lifetime career management. You’ll learn how to:

• Devise compelling ways to meet influential people
• Determine whom to talk to and where to go for connections
• Use the power of ego to gain another’s favor
• Stay awake to opportunities at all times

Quotes from Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest;

“In a stealth approach to career management, your only task is to meet and be known by as many people as possible. It is not to look for a job.”

“This point can’t be emphasized enough: Never, ever allow yourself to get sucked into conducting your stealth interview over the phone!”

“By authentically researching your interests rather than needy job hunting, you begin to attract rather than repel the relationships and situations that truly interest you.”

“Connect with people far and wide, all the time and everywhere.”

“Approach from need, away they stampede. Approach from joy, the world will employ.”

Would you rather get a root canal than schmooze with a bunch of strangers? Does the phrase “working a room” make you want to retreat to yours? Is small talk a big problem? Devora Zack used to be just like you—in fact, she still is. But she’s also a successful consultant who addresses thousands of people each year, and she didn’t change her personality to do it. Quite the contrary.

Zack politely examines and then smashes to tiny fragments the “dusty old rules” of standard networking advice. You don’t have to become a backslapping extrovert or even learn how to fake it. Incredible as it seems, the very traits that make you hate networking can be harnessed to forge an approach even more effective than traditional techniques. It’s a different kind of networking—and it works.

Networking enables you to accomplish the goals that are most important to you. But you can’t adopt a style that isn’t true to who you are. “I have never met a person who did not benefit tremendously from learning how to network—on his or her own terms,” Zack writes. “You do not succeed by denying your natural temperament; you succeed by working with your strengths.”

Quotes from Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected;

“The creation of lasting, real connections and the discovery of connectivity is the new, improved way to build a strong, lasting network.”

“Introversion is not pathology!”

“Unscheduled spontaneous social time is not ideal for most introverts.”

“Place a new frame on objective reality [to] dramatically change your understanding of events and people.”

“Strong introverts crave alone time…as if it were oxygen in the lungs for survival.”

Just as the role of friends is expanding in our culture, Friendfluence explores their powerful and often under-appreciated influence on our personalities, habits, physical health, and even our chances of success in life. In this fascinating book, packed with the latest research findings, Carlin Flora traces friendship from its evolutionary roots to its starring role in childhood and adolescence to its subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) impact on adults—both positive and negative, online and offline. Told with warmth as well as rigor, Friendfluence not only illuminates and interprets the science of friendship but will help you reflect thoughtfully on your social history and wisely navigate your present and future friendships.

Quotes from Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are;

“Everyone could benefit from stronger friendships – not the idealized pop-cultural versions, but the real, sometimes annoying, sometimes troubling and sometimes transcendent kind.”

“Even the most fruitful friendships can cause considerable pain, often precisely because the need and love the two have for each other are so strong.”

“If you had a rough upbringing, you might remember your friends (and their homes) as safe havens.”

“A person without friends will become unhappy or worse. Loneliness sends the body and mind into a downward spiral. A lack of friends can be deadly.”

“Solid friendships can help you shed pounds, sleep better, stop smoking and even survive a major illness.”

This sequel to Leil’s international top selling “How to Talk to Anyone” makes you a master communicator with 96 all new cutting-edge communication “Little Tricks” for big success in business and social relationships―in person, by email, and on the phone. It has been praised as the 21st century version of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and was nominated one of the five best books in psychology by “Books for a Better Life!”

The author introduces the psychologically sound concept, “Emotional Prediction” or E.P. which you can employ with everyone. Here are the ten sections of the book:

7 Little Tricks to Make a Great Impression Before People Even Meet You

11 Little Tricks to Take the “Hell” Out of “Hello,” and Put the “Good” in “Good-bye”

12 Little Tricks to Develop an Extraordinary Gift of Gab

10 Little Tricks to Actually Enjoy Parties

5 Little Tricks to Handle the Good, the Bad, and the Bummers

12 Little Tricks to Avoid the 13 Most Common Dumb Things You Should NEVER Say or Do

13 Little Tricks to be a Cool Communicator

11 Little Tricks to Give Your E-Mail Today’s Personality and Tomorrow’s Professionalism

10 Little Tricks to Make an Impression on your Cell (A.K.A. “Phone”)

5 Little Tricks to Deepen the Relationships You Already Have

Quotes from How to Instantly Connect with Anyone;

“For all the hair styling, shoe shining, suit buying and personality projecting we do, we never really know why some people succeed in life and others don’t.”

The bestselling business classic on the power of relationships, updated with in-depth  advice for making connections in the digital world.
 
Do you want to get ahead in life? Climb the ladder to personal success?
 
The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered in early life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins.

In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi lays out the specific steps—and inner mindset—he uses to reach out to connect with the thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates on his contacts list, people he has helped and who have helped him. And in the time since Never Eat Alone was published in 2005, the rise of social media and new, collaborative management styles have only made Ferrazzi’s advice more essential for anyone hoping to get ahead in business.
 
The son of a small-town steelworker and a cleaning lady, Ferrazzi first used his remarkable ability to connect with others to pave the way to Yale, a Harvard M.B.A., and several top executive posts. Not yet out of his thirties, he developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A-list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.
 
Ferrazzi’s form of connecting to the world around him is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handing usually associated with “networking.” He then distills his system of reaching out to people into practical, proven principles. Among them:
 
Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.
“Ping” constantly: The ins and outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time—not just when you need something.
Never Eat Alone: The dynamics of status are the same whether you’re working at a corporation or attending a social event—“invisibility” is a fate worse than failure.
Become the “King of Content”: How to use social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to make meaningful connections, spark engagement, and curate a network of people who can help you with your interests and goals.
 
In the course of this book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world’s most connected individuals, from Winston Churchill to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.
 
Chock-full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers, becoming a “conference commando,” and more, this new edition of Never Eat Alone will remain a classic alongside alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People for years to come.

People in all kinds of jobs, in big and small companies career builders, sales people, and aspiring executives will love this edgy, practical, and fun book In the spirit, style, and format of the bestselling Little Red Book of Selling, the country’s #1 sales trainer, Jeffrey Gitomer, offers a fresh take on networking and connecting your way to success. The Little Black Book of Connections is based on the power of give value first. It’s about how you can climb the ladder without stepping on people’s backs. It’s about how to earn the respect of a powerful mentor without begging. It’s about how to build stronger relationships with customers, bosses, co-workers, vendors, friends, and family. It’s about being in the same room with powerful people. It’s about how to connect and how to not connect. It’s about how to say the right things to the right people in the right circumstances to make the right impression. The book is small. The cover is classic black cloth. The four-color text graphics makes it attractive and easy to read the compelling content is easy to understand and implement.

Business success is all about connections, relationships, and networks! In New Business Networking , Dave Delaney shows how to combine proven offline business networking techniques with the newest social media—and make them both far more effective. Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience building great online and offline communities, Delaney offers easy step-by-step directions, plus examples from some of the world’s top relationship builders. You’ll discover little-known tips for reaching out more efficiently and more personally…great ways to meet your Twitter connections “in real life”…new ways to build your network before you need it, and make the most of it when you need it!

• Identify, research, and actually reach your best potential connections
• Create a personal landing page that builds relationships
• Grow a thriving LinkedIn network you can count on for years to come
• Use third-party services to supercharge the value of your Twitter feed
• Encourage people to engage more deeply with you on Facebook
• Make powerful new connections through Google+ and Google Hangouts
• Use fast-growing networking tools like Instagram, Eventbrite, Rapportive, Evernote, Plancast, Meetup, Batchbook, Highrise, and Nimble
• Organize in-person events that work—and find sponsors to pay for them
• Listen and converse better, and remember more of what you hear
• Avoid oversharing and other social media faux pas
• Transform your business card into a powerful agent on your behalf
• Nurture and deepen the relationships you’ve worked so hard to createoward their dream job.

Achieve your goals by selectively engaging the right people and connecting well with them.

Smart executives who want to reach virtually any business goal-from raising capital to finding sales leads to finding the perfect job-know that networking is the key to their success. But traditional networking approaches-meet as many people as possible, amass huge numbers of “connections” and “friends” in your LinkedIn and Facebook networks-rarely produce more than a handful of relationships that pay off. In Well-Connected, networking maven and coach Gordon Curtis explains that the secret to building truly effective relationships is to narrow–rather than widen–your network. His proven methodology for building key relationships that deliver results every time emphasizes selectively engaging the right people and connecting with them well : First, identify a “critical enabler,” someone who has access to the knowledge you need and is inclined to help you; second, unlock the critical enabler’s willingness and ability to provide what you need by offering her something valuable before you ask her or him for anything.

• Well-Connected reveals a breakthrough approach to networking that delivers predictable, positive results
• Filled with success stories, the book provides an accessible action plan for all readers
• Networking maven Gordon Curtis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Sunday Globe, Fast Company Magazine

Well-Connected serves as the playbook for sophisticated business people who know there’s a better way to connect with the right people to get things done better and faster.

As the founder and CEO of the management training organization Executive Essentials, Michelle Tillis coaches and trains leaders to experience continual growth and achieve results through the power of collaboration, communication, and relationships. In 11 Laws of Likability, she presents activities, self-assessment quizzes, and real-life anecdotes from professional and social settings to show readers how to identify what’s likable in themselves and use those characteristics to build connections with other professionals. The worst thing anyone can do when trying to establish a personal bond with someone is to come across as manipulative or self-serving. That’s why Michelle focuses on the power of authentic connections, which go much deeper and feel much easier than trying to hit self-imposed business card collection quotas. This book presents a new paradigm that shows even the most networking-averse how to network well–and maybe even enjoy the process.You’ll discover how to start conversations and keep them going with ease; convert acquaintances into friends; uncover people’s preferences; tweak your personal style to enable engaging, reciprocal interactions; and leave a lasting impression on others after your initial meeting.We all know that networking is important, and that forming relationships with others is a vital part of success. But traditional forms of networking often remove emotions from the equation–focusing only on immediate goals. This book teaches readers how to build the kind of deep relationships that have true staying power, bring genuine joy, and provide long-term support.

In many ways, success at networking is the uncommon application of common knowledge. Most people understand that networking is important to their success–they just lack a step-by-step process to get the results they want. Almost no one really implements a comprehensive methodology that will build a business through networking. Thus, the need to network is ‘common knowledge,’ and the development of the methodology required to be successful at it is the ‘uncommon application.’

By reading this book, you will experience the true essence and meaning of networking. The 29% Solution gives you the answers to two conflicting questions that a business owner or salesperson faces every day: How can I tend to my existing clients while at the same time network for new business? and, Should I place higher value on my current clients or on new clients?

Virtually all job hunting experts agree that networking is the best way to find a great job. But most people don’t have connections to the decision makers who do the hiring. And “networking” books, which are mostly written by and for salespeople, suggest aggressive tactics, often confusing these with real networking. They focus on building a powerful network over the course of a lifetime. But when you need a new job, you don’t have time to build a huge, powerful network. You’ve got to use the network you already have.

Orville Pierson, a top expert in job hunting, tells you how to succeed by effectively using your current circle of contacts. He cuts through the myths and misunderstandings to show you how millions of job hunters have networked their way to great new jobs. Highly Effective Networking empowers you to:
-Use a small network to reach dozens of insiders and decision makers.
-Get the right message to the right people, even if you have never met them.
-Create a project plan to organize your networking efforts.
-Speak effectively and comfortably with your networking contacts.
-Talk to decision makers before the job opening is announced.

Networking in job hunting is different than other networking. You don’t have to hobnob with the rich and famous. There’s no need for aggressive sales tactics. You just need to understand how real networking fits into your job search, and then be systematic about doing it.

SuperNetworking transforms the concept of networking from something vague and arbitrary into a system that is swift, deliberate, effective, and easy to follow. Salmon’s real-world approach offers explicit directives on how to build and maintain a personal network that will act continuously as a job-getting engine for immediate use or at any time in your professional future.

In an increasingly diverse workplace, it’s more important and challenging than ever to communicate well. We must build bridges that cross our differences to connect our similarities. The Art of Connecting reveals five core principles and presents corresponding, specific strategies for overcoming communications barriers and connecting effectively with anyone, regardless of professional, generational, ethnic, cultural, or other differences. The authors also explain how the most skillful connectors are able to shift perspectives — to see a situation from three points of view: “me,” “you,” and “them.” All of the principles and strategies are brought to life through absorbing examples and scenarios, plus engaging descriptions of “masters of connection” — like famed National Public Radio interviewer Terry Gross — doing what they do. There is always a bridge. The Art of Connecting shows how to find it — every time.

A fundamental, but mostly hidden, transformation is happening in the way public services are being delivered, and in the way local and national governments fulfill their policy goals. Government executives are redefining their core responsibilities away from managing workers and providing services directly to orchestrating networks of public, private, and nonprofit organizations to deliver the services that government once did itself. Authors Stephen Goldsmith and William D. Eggers call this new model “governing by network” and maintain that the new approach is a dramatically different type of endeavor that simply managing divisions of employees.

Like any changes of such magnitude, it poses major challenges for those in charge. Faced by a web of relationships and partnerships that increasingly make up modern governance, public managers must grapple with skill-set issues (managing a contract to capture value); technology issues (incompatible information systems); communications issues (one partner in the network, for example, might possess more information than another); and cultural issues (how interplay among varied public, private, and nonprofit sector cultures can create unproductive dissonance).

Governing by Network examines for the first time how managers on both sides of the aisle, public and private, are coping with the changes. Drawing from dozens of case studies, as well as established best practices, the authors tell us what works and what doesn’t. Here is a clear roadmap for actually governing the networked state for elected officials, business executives, and the broader public.

Networking is a critically important skill, but few people are aware of its power or know how to develop, maintain, and leverage networks over their lifetime. In The Connect Effect, Michael Dulworth reveals the surprising ways personal, professional, and virtual networks can transform our lives and offers innovative tools—including a test to measure your networking quotient (NQ)—to help you identify, expand, and use your network to improve your life and the lives of those around you.

This bestselling book, a #10 book on Amazon for an entire year, provides a powerful career safety net and growth tool for entrepreneurs for today’s digital-driven world. Networlding shows you how to build mutually beneficial relationships that are the real keys to job satisfaction, career advancement, and personal satisfaction in the 21st century.

The authors, both renowned networking experts, offer a transformational, seven-step networlding process built on their unique support exchange model. They explain how you can use networlding to generate a constant flow of exciting opportunities for expanding your career, starting a new business, or launching a community project. A wealth of practical tools, including quizzes, exercises, and risk-free simulations, help you create the kind of connections that are today’s best catalysts for career success.

What’s the one entrée you should never order at a business lunch? Is it ever okay to order alcohol? When should you bring up the subject of business?

The Art of the Business Lunch takes you through every aspect of the business lunch. Robin Jay, the “Queen of the Business Lunch,” teaches you proven methods for making the people with whom you do business choose to work with you, instead of your competition, time and time again.

Finally, there is a definitive guide to the business lunch! Here is just some of what you will learn:

• Whether you should pick up your clients or meet them at the restaurant
• How to pick the right restaurants for business and which restaurants to avoid
• How and what to order
• Is it ever okay to order alcohol?
• When to bring up the subject of business
• Cell phone etiquette
• How to pay for lunch discreetly

Discover what companies are looking for in a candidate when the job interview takes place over lunch. Find out how to turn brief encounters at networking luncheons into solid, long-lasting relationships. Once you learn the secrets to The Art of the Business Lunch, you’ll never waste another lunchtime eating alone!

You can go after the job you want—and get it!

You can take the job you have—and improve it!

You can take any situation—and make it work for you!

Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you:

-Six ways to make people like you

-Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking

-Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment

And much more! Achieve your maximum potential—a must-read for the twenty-first century with more than 15 million copies sold!

Over the last few decades, networking has devolved into an endless series of cattle call events full of open bars and closed fists. Perfect strangers, after a long day at the office, agree to show up and bump into each other, randomly exchanging business pitches for business cards. Needless to say, traditional networking isn’t working anymore. For successful 21st century business people, large networking events and the mountains of business cards they produce have become a waste of time and valuable resources. It’s time for a new, modern approach to networking. Born out of author Derek Coburn’s frustration with having spent thousands of fruitless hours attending traditional networking events, this book offers fresh, effective, unconventional strategies for growing and nurturing a powerful network. These strategies grew Coburn’s revenue by 300% in just 18 months and can have a major impact on your business. You will learn how to: – Become the Ultimate Connector – Become the Ultimate Resource – Identify and develop relationships with world-class professionals – Enhance the value you deliver for your best clients – Position yourself for more quality introductions to ideal prospective clients Once you implement the networking strategies in this book, the quality of your clients, your business, and your life will improve dramatically.