Networking, whether face-to-face, on-line, internal or external, is all about attracting opportunities. However, to be successful at attracting opportunities you need to be both credible and visible.
Firstly, what do we mean by visible? Very simply this means turning up to events, or posting on forums regularly. For example, if you want to use Twitter to gain business, you need to tweet more than once a day. If you are a member of a networking club, to be visible you need to attend regularly. A member of my networking club only attends infrequently – I suspect limited business has been passed to him from the other members. If you are a member of a networking club, with a member spotlight feature, do grab this opportunity to introduce your business early into your membership. If you are new to an on-line forum do say ‘hello’ to all the existing members. If you are networking within your organisation, this means turning up to meetings and company social events. Before people will refer you opportunities or business, they want to build up a relationship with you, and know that you are in it for the long haul. For example, as soon as one of my associates mentioned that they were going back to full time hours with their existing company, I started to mentally cross them off my staffing plans for the future. By having a high visibility with potential referrers, you will be ‘top of mind’ when they have an opportunity which would be valuable for you to obtain.
To be credible, means many things. Firstly, it means that your messages are consistent over time. If you completely change your focus or niche, do be aware that you will temporarily lose credibility until you have re-established yourself. Make sure that when you are out networking, you are focused on finding out ‘who do you know’, rather than the heinous crime of selling whilst out networking. There is nothing quite as damning for your credibility than a sign on your forehead that says ‘I am desperate for business’ or ‘I am selling’.
Being credible means taking the time to build up relationships, and also give into relationships. For example, make sure you take the opportunity to arrange 1:2:1s with people you feel a connection with. If you go out networking with the sole purpose of helping people, work will always follow. When I mean helping people, it can be as simple as introducing them to a member of your network.
Your credibility is vulnerable after a networking event. Fail to follow up – or renege on your agreed actions, and your credibility will take a hit. The brand that you want to cultivate when networking is of someone who is ‘helpful’, ‘well-connected’ and ‘delivers on their promises’. Unless you have agreed specific actions with someone you have met, a follow-up can be as simple as a short e-mail saying that you enjoyed meeting them. It does not mean, signing them up to your mailing list without their express permission.
So to summarise, how have you helped build your credibility and visibility today?
This blog was written after running our most popular teleseminar with Neil Ryder, of ‘If Only’ and ‘the executive village’. A download of the teleseminar is available by visiting our main website
Related posts:
- What does credibility really mean for a professional adviser? What does credibility actually mean for a professional adviser, and why is it so important?...
- How to achieve more with your social networking strategy Eleven things you must do to help your business grow with social networking...
- How to help your business get FITTER through networking There are many classic mistakes that people make when networking. For example, the biggest mistake people make when networking is...
- Is your networking activity working for you? 80% of opportunities will come to you from people you already know. You have to remember that when you are...
- Why succeeding at twitter is just like being at a face-to-face speed networking event Generating business with Twitter is easy, but takes time and patience. After all relationships take time to build and develop....