Step one: Realize you’re part of a network already, So what is a network, then? The OED defines one as ‘a group or system of interconnected people or things’.
It sees networking as interacting with others to exchange information and develop useful contacts’.
Sounds pretty doable, doesn’t it? It is, and the first bit of good news is that you’re already a part of many networks. These can range from your family, to friends, to sports teams, work colleagues, and so on, and are often called ‘spheres of contact’. In fact, you’ve been networking practically all your life. When you were small, your networks developed through these spheres of contact. Immediate family is an easy one to understand. No matter how small our family, we see them most days; we interact with them regularly;
we learn how to join in as well as how to love, fight, argue, and negotiate our way through the ups and downs of family life.
Step two: Stop worrying about networking Some people are natural networkers who love the prospect of making relevant introductions and enjoy the fun of a room full of new people. For others, there is nothing worse or more terrifying.
Take a few moments to think about what you hate and love most about networking.
I write down your findings.
I look at the list and consider which is your most effective networking activity. (In the ‘return on investment’ table in Chapter 4 you will be quantifying the benefits of networking.) I focus on the positive and think about what works well and how you can do more of that.
I What can you do to increase the amount of networking you enjoy that will also have positive effects on your business plan?
Step three: Define what ‘successful’ networking would be for you, ‘Successful’ networking isn’t the same thing for everyone.
Some people may just want to learn how to approach a roomful of strangers at a party; others may have been told that an important part of their job is meeting new people and finding clients. If you run your own business, you’ll want to let people know what you do, what you’re good at, and why you’re different.
If you’ve been dispatched to your local networking group to sell some widgets, hit your targets, and keep your job, networking can seem a particularly unattractive prospect. You need to decide what success ‘looks like’ for your networking and business and make sure that your boss gives you specific, measurable goals to aim for so that everyone is clear about what’s needed.
There’s no need to follow the crowd; while you can always learn from others, only you know how to define success for you personally and in relation to your business plan.
If networking and its outcome are important to you, now is a good time to start being honest about your networking and the reasons you do it. You may find it helpful to do the exercise below and run through it with a colleague or your boss. Often, articulating what you’re doing and how you’re thinking brings clarity.
Turn to Chapter 2 for a more in-depth look at tying your networking activities closely to your business plan.
Step four: Take it one step at a time You arrive at your first networking lunch to have a long list of attendees thrust into your hand, together with a name badge and a glass of wine that you have to balance while you make polite conversation. Now what do you do?
Make a plan! Have you ever watched wild animals hunting for food? They are organized, either as a team or individually. They wait patiently and run, fly, or pounce only when they are likely to reach and kill their prey. This is not to suggest that networkers share many traits with wild animals, but that preparation is key. Once you’re in your comfort zone, you can start to meet your own success criteria.
There are several strands to the planning approach, and it very much depends on the event you are attending. The principle is the same wherever you go: for example, you may be planning for a dreaded dinner party with people you have never met before. Work may mean vast amounts of seemingly pointless networking. However demanding you find this, I challenge you to enjoy it!
Step five: Keep it simple If you remember that networking is about making connections and developing useful contacts, you can use such knowledge as a tool for your networking experiences.
Start off by learning to make simple connections if meeting strangers daunts you. Even though this book deals principally with networking in person, you can also meet other people online. If you’re nervous or shy, why not start off there until you’re ready to stretch yourself? Focus for the moment on what you can do, not what you can’t. If you work on the basics of networking first, your confidence and effectiveness will build.
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