Everybody has contacts, but not everybody has contacts that count. Only a small fraction of people intuitively know how to network. Everyone else must - and can - learn how.
In today's business environment, networking is:
The essential professional competency. Employees at all levels need to excel at creating, cultivating and capitalizing on the cross-functional relationships that get things done and that affect the bottom line.
The most important tool for intelligence gathering and resource finding at conferences, trade shows, meetings and even golf outings.
The critical strategy for business development. Savvy professionals and entrepreneurs know how to gain visibility and credibility in their target markets and maintain relationships for long-term growth.
The must-have capability for professional association members so they can take advantage of great connections at meetings and conferences and bring back new ideas and practices into their workplaces.
The know-how for doing business. International businesspeople and students need to get comfortable with and competent in the cultural ground rules for building relationships with other business cultures.
The method for personnel retention because it creates feelings of inclusion and engagement. More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies now have or will soon have affinity groups so people from diverse backgrounds feel listened to and valued at work.
The primary tool that people use to find new jobs, change careers or land on their feet after a lay-off, merger or re-organization.
The Potential of Networking
The first step in building "social capital" is to measure your mastery of various networking skills, including the subtleties, strategies and state-of-the-art methods to build relationships. It also makes sense to become more conscious of the beliefs you've held about networking. Don't be held back by misconceptions or outdated attitudes. If in the past you've thought of networking as just for job seekers or extroverts or those starting out in their careers, then think again. If you've seen it as boring or manipulative, now is the time to learn how to make it more productive and profitable.
Ask yourself, "What benefits will networking bring my organization? How will it help my career? What are my goals and how will creating, cultivating and capitalizing on networking opportunities help me reach those goals?" Whether you work for a large and small organization, or are an entrepreneur, the key to building relationships is establishing trust. Networking is about teaching people - through what you do and say - to believe in your character (practices such as timeliness, keeping confidences and integrity) and competence (behaviors such as teaching and mentoring, continuing professional development, and doing things right the first time).
Trust grows as relationships progress through the six stages:
Accidents are people you bump into randomly and probably won't see again (your seatmate on your flight to Dallas).
Acquaintances are people you meet through other people and could find again through your contact (the architect you met at your cousin's wedding).
Associates are people who are members of the groups you've joined (your workplace, professional associations, alumni group or volunteer and leisure activities).
Actors are people with whom you've exchanged resources, ideas or information, so they've begun to experience your character and competence.
Advocates are people who believe so strongly in your character and competence that they refer you to others and pass along opportunities to you.
Allies are trusted friends and advisors - people who are committed to your success - both professional and personal.
Understanding this six-stage model - and knowing what to do and say at each stage - puts you in charge of the growth and development of your network. As you clarify your goals, you'll network more strategically to achieve them. Designing networking projects to fit your goals guarantees that you'll get the most from your investment of time and money. The network you create is far more powerful, dynamic, and useful than any organization chart.
Mastering Networking Moments
Central to the Contacts Count System are the essential face-to-face networking skills that will take you comfortably and professionally from hello to goodbye. People in almost all walks of life, in many kinds of businesses, at every level of the hierarchy - introverts as well as extroverts - can excel at using the rules and tools of networking.
There are three key moments in any encounter that, if mastered, will make you feel comfortable and competent as your build your network:
Exchanging names. Learn your contact's name by repeating it back ("Hi, Juanita"), confirming the last name, then introducing the person to someone else. Teach your name by saying your first name twice ("I'm Todd, Todd Casey"). Then give a tip for remembering your name ("Casey, like Casey at the bat").
Answering "What do you do?" Give a two-sentence answer that makes you easy to talk to and begins to teach your contact about your character and competence. The first sentence highlights one talent or skill - just one of your many. The second sentence gives an example of a time you saved the day, solved a problem or served a client. "I design surveys that keep us up to date on how customers feel about our company. I just added an innovation that increased the response rate by 14%."
Responding to "How are you?" or "What's new?" Avoid the tired old "How are you?" "Not bad." "What's new?" "Not much." Instead, be prepared to be spontaneous by thinking ahead about what topics you'll raise. Have them on the tip of your tongue: your enthusiasms, interests, challenges, resources you need or have to give, interesting trends and other information you can share. If you have a clear agenda or a purpose, then you'll leave a networking event with tangible results.
Great networkers also know how to make conversation flow. Be easy to talk to by practicing these behaviors in every interaction you have with people:
Listen generously, with an ear for how you can help. What resources, information or introductions could you give your contact that he or she would benefit from?
Ask good questions. Be "seriously curious." Ask questions such as, "What have you been working on lately?" or, "How did you first get interested in that?" or, "What's your next step with that?" Asking good questions makes follow-up much easier because you'll know more about your contact's interests and challenges.
Tell stories. Be ready to give short examples or vignettes that show you in action and that teach your character and competence. Make them brief, strategic, clear, concise, exciting and service-oriented. Most people won't be there when you solve a problem, handle a crisis, get an award or otherwise distinguish yourself, so conversation becomes the vehicle through which you can teach others about your accomplishments and interests - without bragging, of course! Be sure you deliver your story with excitement and ease so people enjoy listening to you.
Even good conversations must come to an end. One of the questions aspiring networkers ask most frequently is, "How can I end conversations and circulate around the room?" End conversations with the future in mind. Say things such as, "I'm looking forward to checking in with you at next month's meeting to hear how your marketing project is coming along. It's been good to talk with you." Or, "It was good talking with you about books on leadership. I'll bring the one I mentioned to your office on Tuesday." Or, "I'd like to introduce you to Tom - he's also new in the company. Let's all get together for coffee."
Successful networkers follow up on encounters expertly. Research shows that it takes about six encounters before someone understands what you do and has a chance to experience your character and competence. Organize your follow-up around these three very good reasons to get back in touch:
Commonality. You found something you have in common that begs to be explored.
Commitment. You agreed to provide something that your contact needs.
Chemistry. You like this person and imagine that it would be mutually beneficial to get to know him or her.
Using an electronic system to manage contacts is smart, but it's also wise to develop a variety of face-to-face ways to stay in touch with important ones. Invite Jim to be on the committee with you. Ask Susan if she'd like a ride to the next meeting. Plan to have lunch with a new contact every Friday. Offer to lend a book or CD to a contact - and drop by to deliver it. Every Friday afternoon, if you can think of five people to thank, you've probably got a well-developed network. Who gave you some needed information or help? Who offered a resource or a referral? Who came to your aid or helped a friend of yours? Appreciation is a great way to stay in touch and build the relationship.
Networking at Work
To network more at work, first assess your corporate culture. Is it encouraging or discouraging when it comes to networking? Become attuned to other terms for networking, like "relationship management," "building social capital" or "collaboration." Talk with your boss about the benefits of networking. Convince him or her that if you know people throughout your organization and profession you'll be able to:
Uncork bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Round up talent for projects.
Shepherd programs and initiatives through the system.
Bolster the bottom line.
Expand your knowledge base.
Access inside information that can't be found elsewhere.
Help with recruitment efforts.
Then list the people you need to know and make a plan to contact them. Ask yourself, "With whom do I need to start a relationship in order to get a job done or to pre-empt difficulties or surprises? With whom would I like to expand my relationships? Which current relationships do I need to repair so we can work together better in the future?"
Networking Professionally
Create the same kind of plan for people you know professionally and personally.
Professionals, such as attorneys, CPAs, architects and doctors, need to attract and retain clients. Networking paves the way for a firm to be the natural and only choice when opportunity arises. Professionalize your practice development efforts by learning the skills that make every conversation count. Consider creating a high-level referral group with other professionals. One successful group included a tax attorney, a divorce lawyer, a CPA and a financial planner. They met monthly over breakfast, learned about each other's track records, built trust in each other's competence and character, and now make highly qualified referrals to each other.
Networking is about teaching and giving, not talking and taking. Done right, it can help you turn contacts into clients.
Networking with Groups
Most people belong to groups - professional associations, service clubs, country clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, and charity boards - but many don't know how to maximize their return on investment in organizational memberships. Avoid these mistakes when joining a group:
Join, but don't go.
Go, but don't start conversations, give out business cards, tell stories, ask good questions, or end conversations with the future in mind.
Arrive, but without an agenda - without a clear idea of what you're looking for, what types of contacts you'd like to meet, and what you have to give in conversation.
Forget that the best way to show character and competence is to give time and energy to the group.
Sit and talk with people you already know.
Make strategic choices about where and when to network based on your life, career and business goals.
Networking at Conventions
To connect at conventions, make a written list of what's on your agenda: what you have to give (enthusiasm, ideas, information and resources) and what you're looking for (answers to problems, new trends, best practices, and new contacts). Choose in advance which sessions you want to attend, but also design your own sessions by inviting a speaker to lunch or meeting with your company counterpart from another city.
Arrive early - that's when the movers and shakers get there! Wear a smile and volunteer to help. Take advantage of informal meetings in the hallway. Talk to people as you wait for a session to begin. Sit with people you don't know. Introduce yourself to the speakers. Enlist the help of a friend to create an impromptu dinner party.
All day on the event-free night, invite people to show up in the lobby at six to go to dinner together. Most people who show up won't know each other. They'll thank you for helping them expand their networks.
Networking for Jobs
Studies show that some 75% of job offers come from people you know or - even more likely - from people who know the people you know. The Contacts Count System of networking includes five field-tested strategies for landing a better job quicker:
Make a list of the 25 people you currently know who can help you the most. Teach them what you do best, what you're looking for, and how to tell others about you. As you attend social and professional events, continue to add more people to your list. Take time to show them your character and competence before expecting them to help you.
Join and get active in the professional group that serves the job type you're looking for. Volunteer in ways that will show people your skills. Tap into job banks, which most groups offer. Speak on a panel or present a session at the annual conference. Get visible.
Create three or four memorable answers to the "What do you do?" question. Each answer should be designed to show a different skill set or aspect of your expertise.
Choose 20 organizations you'd like to work for and network to meet, or be referred to, people from those workplaces. Use Contacts Count skills to position yourself as the natural and only choice in their eyes.
Listen for problems to solve. Listen for new trends, new ways of describing what you do, new fields that need your expertise.
Conclusion
When you make these skills a way of life, networking becomes a natural process of relationship-building. If you focus on how you can help others, then resources, ideas and opportunities will flow in your direction.
- End -
About the Authors: Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon co-founders of Contacts Count, a nationwide consulting and training firm that specializes in teaching individuals and organizations how to put networking to work in the service of business goals.
Their clients include organizations such as Booz Allen, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Department of State, Georgetown University, the National Geographic Society and the National Association of Home Builders. They deliver customized programs via keynotes, workshops, training programs, licensure and train the trainer programs, and web casts. Contact www.ContactsCount.com or Lynne Waymon at 301-589-8633.
Related Reading
Any of these books can be ordered directly from Amazon (A), Barnes & Noble (B) or Chapters (C) or may be summarized in our execuBook library (E).
Masters of Networking: Building Relationships for Your Pocketbook and Soul, by Ivan R. Misner and Don Morgan, Bard Press, 2000, ISBN 1885167482. ABCE
The Hidden Power of Social Networks: Understanding How Work Really Gets Done in Organizations, by Robert L. Cross and Andrew Parker, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1591392705. ABCE
Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz, Doubleday, 2005, ISBN 0385512058. ABC
Need a Competitive Edge?
Share a headspace with the best minds in business - visit aheadspace.com. Now you can learn, teach and inspire your people with a complete collection of resources and tools. These simple, smart, enterprise-wide learning solutions enable 100% of an organization's employees to quickly learn and apply the world's best business concepts at an unbeatable return on investment.
The resources include two of execuGo Media's most popular product lines - execuBooks business book summaries and execuKits turnkey workshop toolkits - plus innovative inspirational tools called execuClips. They enable all employees to build competitive advantage by equipping each other with a world-class business education easily and effectively right where they work.
