How To Network
I’m involved in the running of GTi Business Network, a local face-to-face networking group and I’ve attended many others. Some people are clearly consummate networkers, but there are others who don’t seem to ‘get it’. From the guy who aggressively pushes his product or service to everyone in the room until he’s ‘used up’ that group of contacts and he has to move on to a different meeting, to those who attend once, never come back and don’t seem to get anything from the experience. Networking is an art, but not a black one, anyone can do it.
A BNI colleague used to say, ‘It’s not net-play or net-eat, it’s net-WORK!’ by which he means that you have to be prepared to put in some effort beyond just turning up and eating the food. Referral networking, done right, is perhaps the best way of getting more business if you offer services to other businesses, so it’s something well worth getting better at.
A colleague of mine in the IT industry, Richard Tubb, has a couple of excellent webcasts on the subject. The first titled Finding Customers Through Networking and the second titled Effectively Using Social Networking to Build Your IT Business [UPDATE: Richard's second presentation is now online]. At the time of writing, the second of these presentations is yet to air. Judging from the first, even though there is a bit of an IT slant, they material is general enough that any networker can benefit. I’ve met Richard when he ran Netlink IT, a new start-up on a shoestring budget. In those days he used to ask people like me for advice, but he quickly outgrew that as his business thrived and grew into into a company that Microsoft announced as their first ever UK Small Business Champions. He’s now known in the IT community internationally and is well known for his use of networking and social media. So, he’s ‘walked the talk’ and I think we can all learn something from him.
One further resource, if you’re at all nervous about networking (as I am and I suspect most people are): Alexis Bauer gave a great talk with down-to-earth practical advice on How to Work a Crowd as an Ignite presentation.
Finally, if you’re in South Wales on any Third Thursday of the month, pop in and see us at the GTi Business Network for a spot of lunch and to practice your new-found networking skills!
