As we progress through life some of the richest experiences we will ever have are directly linked to the people we have chosen to include in our journey. People matter.
While few debate the power of relationships in business and our personal lives, the topic of networking continues to be confusing and complicated. Many people cringe at the idea of networking, and have visions of shallow conversations over cheap wine while people that you don’t want to talk to try to pitch you their latest business venture.
However, networking is not about a façade of schmoozing. Networking is the creation of long-term and mutually beneficial relationships where all involved succeed more because of the connections than they would without. Once we remember the long-term and mutually beneficial part, it makes it easier to be productive in our efforts.
The wrong activities and people who are only out to improve their own situations are the time suckers of the networking world. Showing up at every event, conference, happy hour and seminar in your industry or geographical is never the best use of your time. It is the impression that networking is a numbers game that leads many to run the other way. “Never Eat Alone” could mean you gain weight, drink too much and never have any personal time to contemplate your ideas.
To productively network you have to have an understanding of what you want to accomplish and create a plan that sets you up to both give and receive opportunities.
If you enter into your networking activities only concerned with who can help you, you will never find the success you seek. Networking has to be about give and take, but the idea of helping others in a world where you do not have enough time for self can also scare people off.
Five Strategies for Productive Networking
- Don’t be everywhere. A mistake many make is to join every organization and try to be at everything that happens. These people spread themselves too thin and eventually start skipping out on networking. While they pay a lot of dues to a variety of groups, they never find their tribe of people in any association. It is best to select two or three organizations that are interesting to you and get very involved. Attend most of the meetings, serve on committees, and become a resource to other members. Deep involvement in a few groups is the best use of your time.
- Ask questions. Much time is given to teaching people to craft catchy “elevator pitches” where they memorize short descriptions of themselves. While it is important to be able to clearly and concisely inform others of what you do, many mistakenly think they should lead with these self-commercials. Instead, ask questions of others when you meet them. Get them to tell you about their careers, companies and lives. The more they talk, the more you will learn about the opportunities for meaningful connections.
- Have “Follow-Through DNA”. We meet people all the time and promise to follow up to schedule lunch or to introduce them to somebody. There are things agreed to when networking that are often forgotten once people return to their busy schedules. Be a person who is known for their action. I call this “Follow-Through DNA” and few people have it. Do not commit to an action you have no intention to take, and always take the actions you that you are committing.
- Keep initial meetings short and on point. There are some people you will want to get together with after you meet them while networking. These can be in person, by phone, or via the internet. My friend Neen James holds “telecoffees” with people over Skype where they each stay in their own offices and make their own coffee to drink while they chat (great for those who don’t live nearby, or even in your community it saves on drive time!). Remember, meeting someone once does not make them part of your network (it makes them someone you have met once), so the follow up is key to building successful relationships. However, lunches and coffees can have a tendency to run long and never get to a meaningful part. Have an agreed upon purpose for all meetings, and before you start revisit the ending time.
- Commit to helping others find success. If your purpose to network is only one-sided you will never find all the opportunities that are available. But it is easy to get lost in your own goals and never do anything for others. Schedule time each week to make sure that you are regularly making key introductions, referring others, promoting others in social media, etc… If you find ways to help others get closer to their dreams, the line will be long of those who will do the same for you.
Networking, like most activities, can be a waste of time or highly productive. It all depends on the priority you make of how you invest yourself in the process.
Thom Singer is known as “The Conference Catalyst”. As a speaker, he sets the tone for corporate and association conferences – turning average networking into impactful connections and the creation of long-term, mutually beneficial relationships that lead to more business. www.thomsinger.com
