The best way to network
“Experts” may tell you there’s a right way to network.
I disagree.
Just as in any other area of life, one size does not fit all. In fact, if you network in a way that doesn’t suit your personality, it won’t work.
For example, you may plan to regularly meet with someone then find yourself constantly canceling or rescheduling your appointments.
Or you may decide to attend business mixers and realize that you’re too self-conscious to connect with people there.
On the other hand, when you find a networking approach that truly fits with who you are, you’ll achieve your networking goals much more easily.
Further, when your networking goal is aligned with your networking approach, you’ll start getting remarkable results seemingly effortlessly.
So how do you do this?
- Take a moment to notice how you naturally interact with people.
You may find, for example, that you use email to stay connected with most people, but there are a few key people that you regularly talk to over the phone.
Or that you enjoy throwing parties, where you can introduce new friends to old friends.
Being aware of your personality and your preferences will help you to understand what networking environments and approaches are best for you.
- Think about your networking objective.
Do you want to generate more visibility for your business? Do you want to find joint venture opportunities? Do you want business leads?
Networking to find a joint venture opportunity is very different from networking to get potential customers for your business.
The techniques may be the same, but the approach, venue and conversations can be very different.
- Consider different networking approaches
For instance, you can network through organizations — such as, professional associations, Chamber of Commerce mixers, Leads groups, online networking forums, etc.
Or you can schedule one-on-one meetings with specific people, whether in person, on the phone or online.
Each has its pros and cons.
And each serves a particular need very well.
For instance, if you want to meet a lot of people in a particular industry quickly, going to an event sponsored by that professional association would be ideal. On the other hand, if you want to have an in-depth conversation about something, a private meeting would be better.
Once you have a sense of these 3 factors, you can mix and match them for best results.
For example, if you’re a business owner who prefers interacting with people one-on-one, who wants to generate more business through networking, and has a very busy schedule and limited free time, you might do the following:
- Find an appropriate event to attend so you can quickly meet a large number of people who may be good referral sources for you.
- Schedule follow-up meetings with only those who show an interest in partnering with you — and based on your mutual availability, of course.
- Use these meetings to define and build sound working relationships with each other.
This allows you to make the most of your limited time, leverage your personal preference, and meet your business networking goals.
I’d love to hear about how you’d combine these to fit your needs. So please share your comments below…
