You Are What You Read: The Best Books to Grow Your Network

You know where you are. (If you don’t, this is a series people! Read the series, but only if you want to, who am I to boss you around?) You’re at your favorite restaurant, the one with the sandwich of chicken and the tots of tater. You are prepared this time. You have a napkin handy (finally), and you are dabbing composedly. You take dainty bites, you are positioned with a view of the door, and you are ready for someone you know to walk through that door so you can network and tell them to get the #3 with a Fanta (I’m a grape person, consider me cultured).

Only no one walks in that you know. No one pays you any mind and you wasted all lunch staring at a door instead of enjoying your sandwich or being productive. If only you had some good reading material to have better prepared you. If only you read the Maestro blog every week to be a better professional. This is getting meta.

In this week’s installment, we lay down the four best books to read for anyone trying to network and expand relationships. Important reminder, it’s about relationships, not just numbers or meaningless connections on LinkedIn. The first one is perfect for ordering a number #3 with a grape Fanta.

BEST FOR EXPERTS (AND AMBITIOUS BEGINNERS)

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Perfect for our humble second-person protagonist of this series, this book, named for its eleventh chapter, goes deep into the science of networking. Ferrazzi begins with the blunt but necessary admission that the business world is not a meritocracy. Merit gets you far, but some jobs are appointment only, and without connections, there are some doors that simply don’t open.

Instead of transcending into a bitter, pessimistic rant about the woes and flaws of society, Ferrazzi outlines a step-by-step process for social butterflies or social deniers alike to learn how to network like a pro and build the right system that works for you to achieve your needs. And it includes making sure to never eat lunch alone. (I need alone time during lunch to introvert recharge, but the sentiment and his advice are what matter.)

BEST FOR INTROVERTS (IF YOU NODDED YOUR HEAD AT “INTROVERT RECHARGE,” THIS IS FOR YOU)

The Introvert’s Edge to Networking by Matthew Pollard

Calling my fellow introverts, the ones who understand why I need some lunches alone, the people who understand that the word “networking” sometimes comes with a groan. You get me, I feel you, and I got you. This book is for us, and so are some others! Pollard has a series on introverts (a hero), and for my fellow sales junkies, The Introvert’s Edge: How the Shy and Quiet Can Outsell Anyone, just might be your new best friend (it’s a book, our ideal friends).

His networking book is what gives me hope in my own networking. His second subchapter is “Stop Copying the Extroverts.” It was music to my ears when I read it. The book goes into depth about how to channel your energy, where to focus it, and all the tips and tricks of the trade geared to people who simply can’t or prefer not to always be “on” socially. He even gets into using the internet to network and acknowledges how even that has its own draining factor. If the phrase “never eat alone,” makes you want to run and hide, read this book, it’s for people like us.

BEST FOR NEWBIES (AND SOME EXPERTS WHO NEED A REMINDER)

Brave, Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani

Okay, hear me out. This one is not technically a networking book, but I think that makes it that much more valuable because of how tangible the lessons are. Plus, it reads as a really enjoyable story rather than a recipe you need to try and digest with your eyes. It’s fun, people!

This book gets into the nitty-gritty of the internal critic inside us who wants to be perfect, specifically focusing on the struggles of how young girls are trained for perfection (but it’s a great read for all ages and genders, don’t feel deterred). The book melds psychology with memoir to explain how embracing mistakes, setbacks, and imperfection lead to a more confident, enjoyable, and successful life. It’s the perfect recipe for confidence in networking to remember to relax, be human, and let go of the need to feel perfect in networking and business. Embrace your humanity (and inner girl power!)

BEST FOR AUDIO (FOR THOSE ALWAYS ON THE GO, OR THOSE THAT JUST DON’T LIKE READING)

The Game of Networking by Rob Sperry

So, you’re always on the go (or just don’t like to read and use that as an excuse, I forgive you), but you still want to become a great networker. Lucky for you, technology is good and quality books are plenty.

In this audiobook (there is also a print version if that’s your preference), Sperry hits the key factors that make a good networker, with a nod to increasing sales that we appreciate here at Maestro. He references notables like Ben Franklin, James Bond, and Johnny Appleseed. He goes into his 3.5 laws (yes, 3.5, that’s how you know it’s fun) of how to be a great networker. He focuses on the minutiae to becoming likeable, even including chapters on niche areas like Instagram and Snapchat. With something for the millennials and the boomers, this is the best read if you want to avoid the reading. It doesn’t hurt that he has a very Stephen King voice either. 

Hopefully, these books entertain you as much as they entertained us, and let us know through our LinkedIn page what your favorite or most notable chapter was from the book you landed on! Consider us your first new connection.

Expand your network to include Maestro! Connect with us at mastery@maestrogroup.co.