Why You Should be Networking - and How to Do It.
In today’s world, who you know is just as important as what you know (some might say it’s more important). Successful networking is a priority if you’re serious about getting ahead.
First, ask yourself a question, - how many networks do you belong to?
There’s a good chance it’s quite a few.
Dictionary definition - a group or system of interconnected people or things.
Networking is generally associated with work, where it’s more formally recognised, especially if you own your own business, but we network every day. Our most important networks are not work based. Family, friends, hobby groups, sports teams even acquaintances for our basic networks. For those that are work based, we are likely to be a member of several networks, immediate team, service colleagues, other internal connections, external networks of people in the same line of work as you, those in other organisations. Any group, club, association, or tribe is a network.
So…
What are the benefits of being part of a network? How do you grow effective connections? Is networking on-line any different? How do you start a networking conversation? This guide is aimed at professional networking, but much of what is discussed is applicable to non-work networks, so is useful in all walks of life.
Firstly, what are the top benefits of being part of a network – in other words why is it worth bothering?
Ten Benefits to Networking
1. It gets you noticed
This is particularly important in work networks, not only does it get the attention of those within the specific network you are in, but if you contribute/volunteer/provide support to others in the network, you are likely to be noticed by those outside the network too. If you want to stand out from the crowd in relation to your profession, networking is a great way to get started. Write a paper for your professional network or speak at events. Add value to your network and people will start to talk about you. You will develop a reputation as an expert and help opportunities come to you rather than you having to seek them.
2. It builds self-confidence
Many people are daunted about networking. How to start a conversation, how to talk about yourself without seeming pushy, even what to wear! This is where thinking about your existing networks might help. If you joined a club for a hobby, what did you do when you first started there? Your hobby was a shared interest so that’s probably what you initially talked about. Think about what you might have in common with other attendees. It doesn’t have to be business related - has the weather been awful and made commuting difficult? Have you all just seen the same presentation? Is there something interesting about the venue you can chat about? Once you have stepped out of your familiar zone and made the first event, it quickly gets much easier.
The more you do it the more your self-confidence is boosted, and your social skills improve. Your increased confidence will come across to others. This will help establish you more. These are skills that you can use in all walks of life. Don’t be afraid to join several networks, there’s nothing in the rules that says you are only allowed to join one!
3. It’s somewhere you can improve your knowledge
Networking allows you to meet people from different fields and sectors to your own. You can find out where your work complements someone else's - perhaps in an area you’d not thought about before. Just becoming more aware of what other people do and understanding more about them improves your knowledge.
Networks can be surprisingly diverse. You can have some very unexpected and interesting conversations, sometimes these connections develop into friendships and opportunities to widen your skills.
4. It develops communication skills
Networking forces you to interact with people. You practise your verbal and non-verbal communication skills. You may be there to tell others about your business, and therefore be able to talk effectively, getting your message across in a short period of time. You also need to be able to pay attention effectively when others are talking to you. You must use positive body language. The more you practise these essential skills the better you will become at getting your message across to others with precision and clarity.
5. It’s a great opportunity to advertise
The CEO of MyCorporation, Deborah Sweeney, explains that ‘Networking is a fantastic opportunity for individuals, especially entrepreneurs, to get in front of other professionals that may be interested in learning about what you do and your start-up’s offerings. Making these connections can provide endless benefits for entrepreneurs.’
Establishing and maintaining business connections within networks allows you to build other’s trust, and demonstrate why you and your product/service are worth investing in. Even if the people you are networking with aren’t ever likely to be your direct customer - they are likely to know someone who is. Networking gives you the chance to make yourself memorable, so that those you meet can refer you to their other connections.
6. You can gain support from those more experienced than you
This is particularly useful if you are new to starting out. Networking gives you the opportunity to meet others, both within and outside your area of knowledge, who are ‘further down the line’ than you. They can offer advice based on their experience, and the chance to learn from their ‘mistakes’. You can also ask directly for specific advice. Especially if you are managing your own business it can be difficult working things out for yourself. By networking with others you can often resolve issues much more quickly than if you tried to work it out on your own. If you deliberately mix with others who are more advanced than you then you are more likely to improve your own knowledge and skills and achieve more than if you just associate with your peers. Their success will motivate you to do better yourself.
7. It helps you develop your pitch
Your pitch needs to be brief, compelling and show off your brand - ideally you want it to invite questions from those you are speaking to. Networking gives you the platform for trying different approaches - intriguing first lines, definition of your niche, what your USP is etc. Often you will have a minute or less to get your message across, so this kind of practise is invaluable for honing your pitch so that your brand grabs people’s attention.
8. You get to help others
Helping others is a great way of getting yourself noticed, but don’t do it just for that reason. As you become more established you can support others in the way that networks supported you when you started out. Not only will the individual(s) appreciate your assistance, but they are likely to tell others. By networking you are more likely to come across people who will benefit from your advice and support. This is a great way to become more noticeable within your sector.
9. It keeps you in touch
By meeting up regularly with others within the same business area as you it helps you keep up with the latest legislation, trends, or proposed changes, and whether your skills are up to date. Essentially it keeps you on the ball.
10. It can result in long lasting relationships
Having many connections is not only good for your business, but it’s likely to result in making some enduring relationships, sometimes even friendships. These relationships could be key to your success in the future, helping you meet people who could be beneficial to your career, or referring you to those in need of your product/service. However, these relationships will not just happen. Like personal relationships they need maintaining, and you need to keep in touch outside of the formal network.
Now we’ve established why networking is essential, and what the benefits are, how do you go about networking and building those productive relationships?
How to Network and Build Relationships?
Here are 13 tips for what to do to help develop effective connections and what to do to prepare for a networking event.
1. Be yourself
Successful networking is a long-time commitment, if you try to be someone different it won’t be too long before you’re ‘found out’. You will only generate beneficial and enduring relationships if you are genuine.
2. Understand why you are networking in the first place!
Some people want to network for the fun of meeting new people, but most are looking to benefit from being part of a network. Try and identify what you want to get out of it, do you want a new job, are you looking for more business, do you want to find people who can support you in your endeavours? Remember, whatever your goal don’t jump straight in away. Networking is about building relationships. You wouldn’t ask someone how many children they wanted on your first date!!
3. Have plenty of business cards with you
These days they don’t need to be small pieces of card – although these are still popular. Electronic business cards are also effective. The point is to have a way of easily passing on your contact details to everyone you talk to. However you do it, make sure you can get your information to as many other people as possible. Try and make your card or details stand out somehow – to get the attention of those you meet – it could even be a way to start a networking conversation!
4. Prepare a concise pitch
Before you go to any event – practise your pitch. A sentence or three about what you do, and why you are different. It doesn’t need to have the intent to sell. It’s better to say what problem you solve, or who you help, than tell people what your product/service does. You don’t need to give details about your name, or your job title or even your area, people can get this from your business card or contact details. It’s good to mention what you hope to get out of networking.
5. Plan ahead
Often you will know who is going to attend ahead of the event. Take the opportunity to find out a bit about either them or their business. Think about current topics that you may share an interest in. The longer you can keep them talking the more likely you will be able to bring into the conversation what you are hoping to get out of the event, or more specifically your relationship with them.
6. Etiquette
A bit like most professional situations e.g. meetings, arrive early and dress appropriately. If you aren’t sure about what to wear, err on the side of smart. Arriving early will give you greater opportunity to network ahead of the official start. Dressing inappropriately will get you noticed, for the wrong reasons, it’s better to be smart at a casual event than the other way around – especially if it’s your first time.
7. Consider some conversation starters
It can be daunting to start a conversation, especially if you know nothing about the person you want to talk to. Before you go to the meeting think about ways you can get things going, questions are always a good way to start – there are some for you to consider later. If you’ve been able to do some research ahead of the event you may well have some useful information that you can use, like a promotion, or a success you can congratulate the other person on. You can also use something that’s likely to be a common experience, like the weather, to get chatting.
8. Pay attention
Make sure you give the person you are speaking to your undivided attention. Not only do you need to listen, but your non-verbal language needs to support the fact you are interested in what the other person has to say. Use open ended questions to find out more about them, or their business. Be respectful, don’t get distracted either by someone else, or your phone. If another person joins your group, make sure you let the person you were first talking to finish what they were saying before introducing yourself to the new party.
9. Make notes on the business cards you’re given
One good tip is to use any business cards you are given to make notes on about the person/business it relates to – or even something you chatted about. Don’t do it whilst you’re chatting but take the opportunity as soon as possible after you’ve finished to do this. It will help you remember, as it’s not uncommon to meet many people at events and recalling information later is difficult. It can be a great aid when following up.
10. Follow up in the first 48 hours
Again this is linked to relationship building. If you leave an event with a bundle of business cards follow up as soon as you can. You can send an email, connect on LinkedIn, or drop them a text message. Let them know it was nice to meet them, add something you found interesting either about them or their business, or refer to something you talked about. Don’t worry too much about whether you think they can help you right now, you never know when the relationship you are about to start building will become beneficial in the future.
11. Develop diverse relationships
You may think that it’s important to connect with others in your industry, or you may think the opposite! Some people avoid connecting with people in the same business as them as they see them as competition. Neither approach is best! You need to connect with as wide a variety of people and areas of work as possible. Keeping in touch with those in your area will help you to keep up to date and relevant. It’s also possible that they will be a good source of work, referring people to you that they don’t have the capacity or speciality to meet their needs. However, just sticking to those in your area is restrictive. Building relationships across all sorts of businesses and expertise will not only increase your knowledge more widely, but you will find that those connections are likely to come in handy at some point in the future in ways you are not yet aware of.
12. Be passionate
People need to know you care about what you do, and they will remember your passion and enthusiasm.
13. Offer to help out
This could be at events or supporting other members of the network with something they need doing. This is a great way to connect with others whilst also doing something of benefit to others.
Is networking on-line any different?
Networking online has never been easier. LinkedIn has been around for pretty much 20 years now and is a great way to connect with people online. However, since the pandemic and lockdowns, it’s also become more common to have online networking events. Should we approach these any differently to face to face meetings? The benefits of networking digitally are pretty much the same as those for networking face to face – with the added bonus that geography is no longer a barrier. The ways in which you generate connections is also pretty much the same online as it is in the ‘real’ world. You may not need to dress smartly, or have a bundle of business cards, but the other hints apply equally to the digital world.
Your pitch is probably even more important at online events than face to face as there are often time limits imposed – you may only have everyone’s attention for a minute. In addition some events give you the opportunity to meet different small groups of individuals so you’re going to have to repeat your pitch several times.
One thing the digital networking world takes away, at least initially, is the ability to ‘chat’. Most exchanges are about people introducing themselves with their pitches, there isn’t time for anything else. You might not have business cards to write notes on, but definitely have a pad and pen handy so you can write any useful nuggets of information down for referring back to later. It’s still important to follow up within 48 hours with those connections you want to build a relationship with. The on-going relationship may well remain digital, especially if they are in a different country to you, but this does not reduce the value of online connections.
Outside of events, if you are looking to make digital connections, through LinkedIn or other social media there are a couple of things you can do to try and find the sorts of people you want in your network. You can use the social media sites as a search engine to give you a list of people who could potentially help you achieve your goals. These searches should provide you with information about the individual, so you can further judge if you can help them or vice versa. This information should also provide you with how to contact them – social media profile, contact details etc. Alternatively you can use keywords to search, although this is likely to be a lengthier route to making connections online.
Suggestions for getting the conversation going
It can be difficult to know what to say when you want to talk to someone. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with “Hello, I’m Tina, and I support new managers. What do you do?” can seem a bit abrupt.
Here are some varied suggestions for ways you can strike up a conversation or join in with a chatting group.
What did you think of the speaker?
Have you been to one of these events before?
How often do you come to these sorts of events?
What a great venue, have you been here before?
Whereabouts are you based?
Where have you travelled from?
Can you tell me what the agenda is for today?
What’s the coffee like?
I’ve never been here before, what’s it like?
Hello, you look new, can I help you?
What are your plans for the rest of the day?
How long have you been in business?
Isn’t it nice to meet in person – do you like face-to-face meetings, or do you prefer online?
What are you hoping to get out of today’s meeting?
So, there you have it a brief explanation of why you should be networking, and some hints as to how to go about it.
Let me know if you think there’s anything that can be added to make this even more useful.