For small and startup businesses the principle of networking is more important now that ever before. The advances in communication technology and the reach these provide has made networking more important. The size and power of your network correlate directly to your ability to find solutions, partners, collaborators and contacts. As the adage goes “your network is your net worth”. As such the understanding of the theory behind networking and the practical steps to networking are important to all in business whether entrepreneur or employee. I’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best books to help you understand and excel at networking.

How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie

Perhaps the most popular book on the subject of networking this old classic lays out the foundation and the method of networking as we know it today. As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie’s principles endure and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age. Learn the six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

Never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi

The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered early in 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

The 20 minute network meeting by Marcia Ballinger

Chock full of real-world scenarios, short stories, meeting examples, and dozens of tips and observations from hiring authorities and recruiting experts, The 20-Minute Networking Meeting – Executive Edition shares the wisdom of senior executives who have been in transition (looking for work), and the perspectives of those who are most asked to network. Constructed to clarify and simplify networking for job-search, the Executive Edition also contains fully written networking stories that demonstrate the entire 20MNM model in action, ending with a complete set of “readiness worksheets” that guide the reader through actual networking preparation.

Superconnector by Ryan Paugh

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.

Networking is not working by Derek Coburn

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

The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane

What if charisma could be taught? For the first time, science and technology have taken charisma apart, figured it out and turned it into an applied science: In controlled laboratory experiments, researchers could raise or lower people’s level of charisma as if they were turning a dial. What you’ll find here is practical magic: unique knowledge, drawn from a variety of sciences, revealing what charisma really is and how it works. You’ll get both the insights and the techniques you need to apply this knowledge. The world will become your lab, and every person you meet, a chance to experiment.
The Charisma Myth is a mix of fun stories, sound science, and practical tools. Cabane takes a hard scientific approach to a heretofore mystical topic, covering what charisma actually is, how it is learned, what its side effects are, and how to handle them.

Emotional intelligence 2.0 by Daniel Goleman

The book’s smooth narrative style turns rigorous research into memorable stories and practical strategies that anyone can use to his or her advantage. With 90% of top performers high in EQ, and EQ twice as important as IQ in getting where you want to go in life, who can afford to ignore it?

Finding your element by Ken Robinson

With his signature wry wit, Robinson offers a series of practical exercises to help you discover your own talents and passions. Along the way, he tells the stories of many “ordinary” people in all walks of life who have overcome obstacles of every sort to find their Element. And he explores fundamental principles and vital questions to help you find yours: What are you good at? What do you love? What makes you happy? Where are you now? Your answers to these and many others will provide you with invaluable keys to discovering your Element.

Influence by Robert Cialdini

Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say “yes”—and how to apply these understandings. Dr Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behaviour has resulted in this highly acclaimed book.

You’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life, the principles of Influence will move you toward profound personal change and act as a driving force for your success.

Mastery by Robert Greene

Mastery synthesizes the years of research Robert Greene conducted while writing the international bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, and The Art of Seduction and demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself. By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Leonard da Vinci, as well as by interviewing nine contemporary masters, including tech guru Paul Graham and animal rights advocate Temple Grandin, Greene debunks our culture’s many myths about genius and distills the wisdom of the ages to reveal the secret to greatness. With this seminal text as a guide, readers will learn how to unlock the passion within and become masters.

Add these books to your reading list if you haven’t already done so and see how they help your ability in networking. Sometimes who you know matters more than what you know. No matter how connected a person is now it’s important to remember that there was a point in time they were not connected to those in their present network. To that end, networking is a skill that can be learned, practised and mastered.