The Three-Stage Plan: Step One – Networking

So you’re taking action to harness the power of personal connections. It will enhance your career prospects and progress your company’s business development. Your goal is to make quality contacts and devise a plan for strategic relationship building. The process starts here.

I am not a networking guru. I don’t intend to take up much of your time giving advice on how to work the room and collect business cards. You may wish to try, or have already practised, speed networking – a new and popular way of connecting for business. I expect you are probably familiar with the networking process.

There are many businesses, professional associations and other organisations which offer these forums – whether breakfasts, lunches, or evening receptions. It is a great way to meet people for business development purposes. What happens after that initial meeting is what this book is about.

You Can’t Do Big Business Until You’ve Done The Small Talk

One of the main reasons people network is to create new business opportunities. It’s a bit like dating – so you’ll need some chat-up lines. When you want to build a relationship, make sure you ask the right questions. It’s far more important to be interested, than interesting.

Why Networking Is Essential

Whether you are a self-employed professional or ambitious to succeed in your company, industry or sector, the ‘need to know’ and ‘need to be known by’ is an essential business skill.

Networks matter – it’s as simple as that. They are part of the corporate survival strategy and a staggering 97% of self-employed professionals rely on contacts and referrals to get work.

Networks enable you to access work, resources and opportunities. They also create a sense of community and rapport and allow you to share experiences with like-minded people.

If you want to assemble or improve your own network, you need to review your existing contacts to see if they are effective and current. Consider the following questions:

Do you communicate regularly with your own network?

Do you proactively seek to increase and refresh your contacts?

Is it a formal or informal arrangement?

Have you asked your contacts for help or offered support and advice to them?

Do you keep your network in good shape for easy access and management?

Networks work best with ‘give and take’. You only get out what you are prepared to put in. The best networks are information-rich, collaborative, high-trust environments. To be part of a vibrant network it is best to start simply.

Some of the best ways are:

personal contacts, friends and associates

ex-colleagues and present co-workers

alumni networks

clients and professional contacts

professional associations

national umbrella organisations.

These should be a rich source of opportunities. Most successful networks work on the basis of personal introductions and referrals.

The networking process and how it works is probably familiar to you. But for those who want to refresh their networking skills, or have one or two confidence issues, the following key pointers can be used as an aide memoire before moving on to the next stage.

Get Organised

Preparation is essential. Proactive business relationships don’t happen just by chance. First and foremost have a plan. This really matters. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, you won’t do it well.

If you’re a bit reluctant to move out of your comfort zone, preparation helps. The more industry functions and business events you attend, the less threatening they will be. To have a vibrant network you need to keep widening your range of contacts. This is the purpose of networking – to get out more!

When you attend an event, ask yourself beforehand, how important is it? Your time is valuable – always make the best use of it you can. Should you be accompanied by a colleague or do you go alone? Is one person sufficient? Would two be overkill?

Study the delegate list beforehand, if possible. This way you maximise the opportunity to reach the right people.

Ensure that you are appropriately dressed. Always check the dress code – appearances can make or break an encounter.

Correct location? Some business venues look much like another and you can waste hours looking for them. Are you at the right event? It sounds elementary, I know. But some conference suites have similar sounding names. It is possible to find yourself being directed to the wrong group of delegates!

Be punctual – a late arrival doesn’t convey the best impression.

Remember to take your business cards with you. It saves scribbling on the back of envelopes or train tickets.

If for some reason you arrive early – don’t worry. Get involved. Ask the organisers if there’s some way in which you can help. It will give you something to do and take your mind off how nervous you are.

A tip I was once given by a leading QC was that if you get to a venue early, find out where the loos are. If anyone asks you, you can direct them with confidence. It gives the impression that you are familiar with the location and will boost your self-assurance!

And finally, wasn’t it Woody Allen who said, ‘80% of success is turning up’?