“It’s not net-sit or net-eat. It’s net-WORK”.
Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI
Yes, networking is work. It requires systematically connecting with the right people in the right places with the right message and the right touch.
Here are seven networking “rules” that I consider essential.
1. Be Distinctive – There is a reason why this is Rule #1. Your ‘brand” (or niche) drives your entire business development effort.
A distinctive brand tells prospects and referral sources about the market you serve, the services you offer and the problems do you solve. Without it, colleagues either won’t clearly understand what you do and/or cannot distinguish you from your competitors.
It’s tempting to “cast a wide net” and offer a broad array of services to a broad market. You want to appeal to as many people as possible. Right?
Wrong. That’s a losing strategy.
If you go broad, colleagues won’t know how to help you. Go narrow. You’ll get more introductions.
2. Be Strategic – Your brand/niche helps define your target market. What types of companies are good targets for you and what types of professionals are good referral sources?
Review your contact database and identify people who fit your prospect and referral source profile. Cultivate these contacts and find more like them!
Your brand/niche also should determine where you network. If you want introductions to Fortune 1000 marketing execs, don’t hang out at your local chamber of commerce. Find organizations whose members can introduce you to your target prospects.
3. Be Systematic – Networking is not just going to events, having meetings, and making phone calls. It’s a system.
Connect with all your contacts systematically. Your “A” contacts should hear from you monthly. Reach out to your “B” contacts with a periodic phone or email.
The rest of your contacts should be on your newsletter list. But all your contacts should hear from you at regular intervals, even if it’s only quarterly.
Set weekly goals for all your business development activities, including the number of meetings, events, and introductions you want to give and receive. Then keep a daily scorecard to track your activities.
Carve out specific times during the week to make networking calls, send emails, and connect via LinkedIn. Treat those times like a meeting. Cancel them only in emergencies. And I mean real emergencies, not some client request.
4. Be Responsive – Ivan Misner calls effective follow up “the NUMBER ONE trait of successful networkers. “ That means following up on any introductions immediately and keeping the “introducer” in the loop.
Being responsive also means doing what you promised to do promptly. You want to be known as a professional who delivers on his or her commitments.
5. Be Prepared – Don’t show up for a one-on-one meeting and ask “So what do you do?” Check out your colleague’s LinkedIn profile and/or website beforehand.
Come to the meeting with an understanding of the person’s background and a list of questions. Better yet, check out the person’s Linkedin connections for potentially useful contacts. During the meeting, find out how you can help and be very clear on how he/she can help you.
6. Be Helpful –Take the trouble to learn whom your colleagues want to meet, what events they like to attend, and what information they find interesting.
Don’t wait for your colleague to make an introduction for you. Give before you get.
And when you make an introduction, do it properly. Talk to each person to make sure there is a fit. Then introduce the two by email.
This approach is more work. But your colleagues will appreciate the extra effort.
7. Be Thankful –The most gratifying part of networking (besides finding new clients) is making introductions. You’re helping two people at the same time.
The most frustrating part of networking is not being thanked for an introduction. Thank your colleague for an initial introduction and then keep him/her in the loop if your discussions go anywhere.
If you close a deal as a result of an introduction, thank the “introducer” with a handwritten note.
Note: This post first appeared on November 22, 2011 in MENG Blend, ”Freshly brewed blend of executive insights & advice from Marketing Executives Networking Group bloggers.”
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Great blog Peter! All good points but the one that rings the most true to me is the need to create a system around networking. It is important to set goals with networking like any other part of one’s business. Without goals, we won’t achieve our desired success.