In my father's day networking was about knowing the 'right people' and it was called 'having connections'. Having these connections was also more to do with the school you went to or the army regiment that you had served in than it was about your skills or abilities. Networking used to be about being accepted because of whom you knew and whom you were, and rather less about what you could actually do.
Networking now seems to be a completely different proposition. The objective now is to create a wide collection of advocates for your skills and talents - people who will remember what you do and carry that with them in subsequent conversations with the other people they meet along the way. The idea is that if you get to know me over a period of time (because we make an effort to meet regularly, if somewhat briefly) then you will eventually start recommending me to your acquaintances, contacts, colleagues and other people you bump into whilst networking. Truth be told, 'bumping into' people suggests luck. Networking is the antithesis of leaving things to chance. It is about taking the luck element out of personal marketing by meeting lots of the right sorts of people, for the very specific purpose of listening out for opportunities for others and yourself.
A few days ago I think I may have met my networking guru in the shape of Mark Shaw. Mark helps consultants of all sorts to 'productize' their knowledge by selling e-books and other digital media. And in thirty minutes flat he not only gave me the wizard's guide to networking, he also blew a number of myths that I had held onto about what networking is. The very myths that have put me off giving it a proper go: it's tacky, a waste of time, lacking in substance, a fad, a longshot. It turns out that networking really is none of those.
For starters I learned that the first response to that fateful question, "so, Paul, what do you do?" must not be a lightning rendition of my elevator pitch, the 30-second advert for my paperclip-bending business. Foisting that on people that I'm still shaking hands with for the first time will apparently have them reaching for their inflatable pillows for a nap. The idea is to formulate an attention-grabbing, unforgettable phrase in seven-words-or-less for what I do: 'paperclips that talk", "websites for pop stars", "green concrete", 'mobiles for morons", "leather shoes for vegans", "accountants for number-phobes", and so on. And then I must always use the same phrase with whomsoever I should meet. If they want more detail, they'll ask me for it; if they don't, I'll have saved my breath and their patience. And yet the best is yet to come. The more interesting insight concerns who gets what. It seems that modern networking is especially good for your Karma.
The wisdom is: forget about what you are trying to sell and focus upon what your talking partner is trying to tell you. The driving force behind this notion is to look after other people's interests while they look after yours, think about it: the people who know you are already familiar with what you can do to help their organisations. But they don't know about what the person, who you met early this morning for breakfast, can do. Meanwhile, in another part of town, the other guy is talking about you to a person, to whom you don't have access. You give to get.
There is a catch of course (I knew it). As Mark put it, this is one of the toughest forms of marketing there is. Yeah right, drinking coffee and going to 'meetings' and just yakking about business is really tough. The fact is though, networking is a very long burn. People drop like flies from networking circles when they realize, after a few weeks, that they can't see a quick end (sale) in sight. Networking is about instilling trust in others so that they go and sell for you in networks that you can't reach, or can't even imagine. Networking is a very left-brained thing to do. It takes trust and faith in the intangible. People in a rush just don't get it.
So, my beginners' guide for networking success looks something like this:
1. Get that opening line formulated - that's the hardest bit out of the way. Then use it wherever you go.
2. Network with the appropriate level: if you need a Director to ultimately sell to, get amongst Director-level people from the start.
3. Forget about the sale you want and listen out for your fellows - you'll get your say eventually.
4. Never, ever give up or you risk wasting all your efforts thus far (sunk costs).
So put away that frayed old school tie that nobody ever recognised anyway and get out there and meet the right people.
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