Working Your Way into the Right Networks

Have you ever noticed that the people that you would most like to network with are some of the busiest people out there?

They’re busy for a reason. They have power, influence and large-scale responsibilities. As a result, they can provide avenues for opportunity, which is what makes them valuable to network with in the first place.

They’re also busy maintaining their own networks. Influential people receive an endless stream of e-mail, phone calls, social media connections and comments on their blogs -- often to the point where they hire an assistant to screen for them. Consequently, many of the invitations that they receive to network go unanswered. Not because they’re discourteous, but because they’re spending what time they have with the people they already know.

Busy people are unlikely to reply back to you just because you’ve contacted them. That’s why it’s a good idea to set yourself apart from the masses and provide a good reason to receive a response from them when you’re trying to build yourself into their networks.

One way you can do this is to make yourself memorable. Suppose you’re approaching a keynote speaker at an international conference. You shake hands, introduce yourself, make an appreciative comment on the keynote address and pass along your business card. Of all the delegates attending, how many hundreds do you think have done exactly the same thing? Are you likely to be remembered among them?

Make sure you are. Rather than being fawning and complimentary, express genuine interest. Ask a relevant question that you know the speaker will be interested in and engage him or her in a brief discussion. After the conference, follow up. Not with an e-mail, but with a hand-written note inside a blank ‘thank-you’ card. Mention that it would be pleasant to talk further and suggest the possibility of getting together for lunch or a social drink.

Up front, offer your new contact genuine friendship rather than neediness. Yes, this person may be a valuable contact for you, but you must also appear to be a worthwhile contact for them.

After all, networking isn’t only about getting to know the right people. It’s also about getting the right people to know you.

Think You're Too Shy to Network?

If you are more quiet, reserved and introverted by nature, you may think you have good reasons for not networking. Maybe you feel a fear of rejection, a sense of unworthiness, or even a simple lack of self-confidence in approaching others. However, if this is true for you, that’s all the more reason to begin building your business network now!

Networking is all about creating relationships with people who can help you and whom you can help in return. Advancing in your career and achieving your goals is much easier for you if you have a network to support you. But what to do if you’re too shy to network? To help you get started, let me offer a few tips.

First, begin with those you know. Although you might not have thought about it before, friends and family are a very important part of your network. Everyone you remember from your graduating class is a potential contact in your network today. And, with social networking tools like Facebook, contacting them is easier than it’s ever been.

Second, use what you know best. Join special-interest clubs and organizations. You like to read? Join a book club. You have children? Join a family-support group. The people who attend with you are also business people. Ask them what they do and share your information with them.

Third, be prepared. One of the reasons you might hesitate to approach a potential contact is that you’ll have nothing of interest to say. So, think about something to talk about before you make your approach. Maybe you admire her handbag and would like to compliment her on it. Maybe you notice he’s wearing a necktie with the same pattern as yours. These and many other simple topics make great points of departure after you’ve said hello.

Fourth, stop apologizing. Networking can be difficult when you think you are imposing. If you are the reserved type, you may find it necessary to apologize frequently as a result. Don’t. Your network will grow faster if your attitude is, “I’m eager to meet you” rather than “I’m sorry to bother you.”

Finally, be yourself. You don’t have to be extroverted to build a network. People are often charmed by sincere, quiet approaches. Everyone will be eager to listen to you when you have something interesting to say.

Now, here’s your assignment. Pick up the phone, walk over to a co-worker or do a quick Facebook search and add that person to your network. You have ten minutes. Ready? Go!

To Do this Year: Attend a Conference

Looking for opportunities to expand your network of friends and business associates? One the best ways that you can do this is by attending a conference.

Conferences are ideal venues for you to network because two groups of people attend. The first group is the people with business interests similar to your own. If engineering is your field, for example, each person who attends an engineering-themed conference with you is a potential contact in your network.

The second group is the ‘big name’ people in your business. Keynote speakers, innovators, authors and corporate leaders are all extremely valuable in your network, not just because of what they might do for you, but also because of what you might do for them.

Approaching potential contacts at conferences requires both external and internal preparation on your part. Externally, remember, appearance counts. The first impression that you will make will be based on your appearance alone. That’s why it’s a good idea to look professional without looking pretentious. If the cashmere business suit is not you, go with the smart jacket and grey flannel pants instead. Be at your best, but be yourself.

Internally, have a very clear picture in your mind of the image that you want to present and carry it around with you. Use this to help you keep your confidence levels up. When you approach people remember that while you’re building your own network, you’re also helping them build theirs. You never know who will make a good contact. While someone may be of less value to you, you may prove to be extremely valuable to them.

How do you begin a conversation? Be prepared a moment in advance. Perhaps you and your contact have attended a session together. Maybe you notice a book that she’s carrying with her. Even simple things like the information on name badges can be useful points of departure. Contacts that you approach are as eager to talk to you as you are to them, so approach with confidence and with a smile.

One more tip, carry your business cards where you have easy access to them. Fumbling through purses and briefcases is inconvenient and also looks bad. An inner jacket pocket is ideal. Carry a smart business card holder if you have one, and place your new contact’s card inside after you receive it.

Few places offer the networking opportunities that conferences do. Attend a professional conference in your field at least once a year, and watch you business network grow.

Tap into Your Network

What do you collect?

I collect drums, masks and refrigerator magnets -- little souvenirs and cultural artifacts to decorate my kitchen and for my friends to admire.

I’ve got a friend in Singpore and do you know what he collects? Wine. As I was admiring his collection once, he showed me a bottle of 1995 French Bordeaux worth over $2000. “Wow”, I said, impressed and hopeful. “That must be really tasty.”

“Oh, I’d never drink this,” he replied. “The value is to have it, not to drink it.”

On one level, I can understand his passion, but for me, a wine collection could only be fully appreciated if I tapped into it once in a while. And that reminds me of networking.

You’ve probably spent some time working on your collection of friends and business associates in order to form a personal network. But the only way you’re going to get real value from it is if you tap into it. And I don’t mean tapping into it strictly for business purposes. You can change the character and increase the value of your business network by making connections that go beyond business.

Find out what people in your network are interested in. Suppose your niece, for example, wants to redecorate her home with Chinese antiques. You just happen to remember that one of your attorney friends has an office filled with exquisite pieces from China. Maybe it’s time to give her a call. Or suppose you’re planning a second honeymoon and you wife wants to learn diving. Remember your parts supplier in Kulim who’s got the cousin running a dive shack out on Tioman? Give him a call.

Invite people out. If you’re on a site visit in a neighborhood where you’ve got some contacts, call someone out for coffee. If you’re out overnight for a conference or a sales trip, don’t have room service by yourself. Call one of your buyers for dinner; get to know them better.

Send people things. If you come across an article or a book that you know someone in your network would appreciate, get it into their hands. Include a short note to show that you’ve remembered them.

Offer what you’re best at. Business is not always about contacts, loans, sales and job offers. It’s also about offering compliments, an open ear for listening and other acts of generosity and kindness.

Having a network of business contacts is essential, but to gain full value from it, tap into it. Having it is one thing; tapping into it and appreciating it is something else entirely.

It's Not About What (or Who) You Know...

Here’s a true story.

An English language lecturer came from overseas to teach in a Malaysian university for six years. At the end of his contract, he went back overseas, only to return to Malaysia two years later to start his own business. To advertise his consultancy services, he compiled a data base of human resources personnel from the recruitment ads in the New Straits Times and sent out 350 introductory letters.

From the 350 companies he contacted, do you know how many contracts he got? Just one. But, that didn’t mean he was idle during his first year of business. Other contracts came to him through people that he knew, and through people who knew people that he knew, and through people who knew people who knew people that he knew.

You’ve heard this saying before: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Here in Malaysia especially, knowing people is the foundation of your business. And that’s why networking is one of the most important business activities that you can invest your time in.

Networking is all about expanding your sphere of influence. It’s about knowing who to turn to when you need help, and being available for others who need help from you. It’s your best method of finding out what’s available on the market, and your most cost-effective way of marketing yourself.

Networking is done many different ways. Companies sponsor social gatherings, for example, to expand their own business networks. Some organizations exist for the purpose of networking. Local and international chambers of commerce are set up to network business locally and overseas.

Networking is also done individually, and having a personal network of friends and business associates is an indispensable way to keep your name known in the business world.

Networking is more effective than advertising because people like to do business with others that they know and trust. Finding out about your products or services in an advertisement is one thing, but finding out through word of mouth is better.

Building an effective network requires time and sometimes, a bit of assertiveness. But in the end, it all pays off. After all, business success is ultimately not about who you know, but who knows you.