Work Your Network

Title:Work Your NetworkWord Count:914Summary:Are you finding that your networking efforts arewearing you out - and your network does not seemto be growing? Here are the myths that must bedisspelled so that you can spend quality time -not quantity time - on building your professionalnetwork.

Keywords:networking, contact building, list building,small business sales, business developmentArticle Body:If you 抮 e networking with strangers, you 抮 ewasting your time. A consultant friend of minerecently complained, 揑抦 doing 2-3 networkingevents a week ?and I 抦 worn out.?When I asked whyshe felt networking was important, she replied,揙 ne of my marketing goals is to do at least 1networking event a week.?(I pointed out that shejust admitted to doing 2-3 a week ?and perhapsdoing 1 a week is smart and doing triple that goalis causing some of the fatigue.) But there 抯 muchmore to the great American business myth ofnetworking.Myth 1: The more you network, the more effectiveyour networking activities become.

Truth 1: It 抯 much more important to becomewell-known in 1-2 circles than to spread yournetworking activities over many different groups.Depth beats breadth every time.I then asked her how networking was working forher. She said, 揑 don 抰 think I have gotten ashred of business out of it in the last sixmonths.?Her rationale for doing networking: 揈verybody knows that you build a business bynetworking!?Does this make any sense? Or worse,does it sound familiar?See if this networking scenario has happened toyou:You meet someone for 30 seconds. They mumblesomething about real estate as you are tuning themout. They ask you what you do, and you say you arein insurance. After 10 seconds of staring blanklyat each other, you both head to the celery sticksfor lack of anything better to do.

Myth 2: The cocktails and miniature wienercircuit is the way to network to successTruth 2: Networking with strangers to buildbusiness is about as effective as going to a barto get married. In the words of Dr. Phil, 揑 tsimply ain 抰 gonna happen that way.?Here 抯 why you 抮 e not going to meet yourbusiness soul mate at a networking event:1) You aren 抰 going to do business with someoneafter meeting them for a few minutes and gettinghanded a poorly printed card.2) Businesses are built on relationships andnot ?0-second commercials,?no matter howeffective and intriguing.3) Most of us have major trouble in explainingwhat we do, much less getting past thatexplanation and listening for what prospects

need.4) Networking with strangers is not targeted orspecific and in fact is completely random. Forsome people, networking is exactly as effectiveas cold calling, which is the least effectivemarketing tool there is.So am I saying that networking is a waste of time?Absolutely not. What I 抦 saying is you need tostart networking smarter.Here are a few thoughts to jog your noggin:* Network by having coffee or lunch with peopleone on one. Get to know them and their business.They may become a prospect, alliance partner, orreferral source. But aim first and foremost tomake them a friend. The rest will follownaturally.* If you 抮 e going to network with strangers, go

with the goal of making 2-3 lunch or coffee dateswith people you find interesting.* Ask every happy customer you have (they 抮 e allhappy, right?) for just one referral of someonewho would be interested in your type of goods orservices, then call and use their name. (揌 i I抦 Fred and Ginger said I should call you. Isn抰 Ginger great?? You already have one thing incommon ?Ginger!* Create a network 揾 it list?of the exact kindof businesses you want to network with ?maybe yousell software and you want to meet IT managers atmedium-size companies. Make the list and put itin your little black book or PDA. Focus yournetworking and outreach activities on only thosepeople ?or others who can refer you to thosepeople.* Join non-business groups and spend time doingnon-business activities: Civic, social,

religious, recreational, musical, athletic...the list is endless. Establish relationships withpeople in your group. Perhaps you 抮 e a Moose anda realtor. A Moose, as it turns out, wants to bya house from another Moose. If so, you have theMoose Market cornered! Are you into hand-drumming.Guess what? A hand-drummer will want to dobusiness with another hand-drummer. Get it?* If you do go to a 搈 ixer?go with a targeted goalin mind. For example, your goal might be 搕 o meetthree people on my target list and get their cardso I can follow up for breakfast, lunch, coffeeor badminton.?A traditional 搉 etworkingevent?now becomes simply the first phase of yourtargeted plan for global domination, and not anend in itself.Here 抯 a final thought to shake up yournetworking mindset: Network with people whoalready know you, like you, or have done businesswith you.

Myth 3: Networking is all about getting morepeople to know what you do.Truth 3: Networking is all about getting peoplethat already know you to share opportunitieswhere you can be helpful to each other.Make 2-3 phone calls a day to connect with peoplefrom past jobs, former clients, or influentialpeople who have expressed interest in you in thepast.We all have a 揻 an base?that we grosslyunderutilize.Think about tapping into friends, colleagues,mentors, and family to mine the connections youalready have at your fingertips.So get out there and network ?but make it worthyour investment of time and energy by networking