Most people do their networking by simply “waiting” for one of their contacts to ask them for an introduction or referral (“hey Adrian, do you happen to know a web designer / financial advisor / printer / IT consultant”….you get it, fill in the blank).

And sure that situation DOES happen but it happens less frequently than I would want and so making “proactive” introductions is the solution that enables me to make a minimum of 5 introductions per day just about every day.

So, how does it work? Well, I have a pretty robust database filled with clients, prospects, networking contacts, folks that I have met at events, meetings and so forth.  Many of these individuals can be excellent referral sources for each other since they are basically working with the same types of people BUT in different areas.  With that being said, they can probably help each other with introductions to potential clients and even more referral sources. And since there is no conflict of interest, they should (and always are) happy to help each other.

Cyber introductions are the way to go. They are efficient and effective and can be accomplished in a minimal amount of time. You can copy and paste links to the individual’s websites, Linkedin profiles and provide a little bit of personal context and you’re good to go.  Takes just a few minutes.

So why not start today, right now if possible.

Think of 10 people, throw them in a pot, see how the synergies fall and start making those proactive introductions.  Trust me….it works.

(PS  It goes without saying that you need to know and trust the people that you are putting together. But once again, this is an introduction, not a demand that they work together. You’re facilitating a conversation, nothing more, nothing less.)

It’s not a pretty picture and with the amount of student loan debt that is coming due, well, the economic ramifications are incredibly dire.

And don’t think that these kids aren’t trying to land a job. I’m the mom of one of those kids. Armed with an undergraduate degree from a top college and a master’s from a university ranked as one of the highest in the world he is diligent in his attempts to land a position somehow within his choice of career, a career that is truly his passion.

Diligent. Sure.

But there is a job-hunting basic that is not in his repertoire and for me, an inveterate networker, it seems that it would be the most important tactic of all.

Networking.

Graduates emerge from the cocoon of college and have the optimal skills to traverse the digital world. They jump onto job boards with amazing optimism.

The scour the internet and send scores of emails to nameless, faceless hiring managers who find hundreds, if not thousands, of these emails waiting for them. It can be overwhelming. (Ex., about a year ago I helped a friend recruit and hire a receptionist. I posted the job and included very definitive parameters outlining the exact applicant that we were looking for. Within hours I had hundreds of replies and I soon wearied of opening them. What did I do? I reached out to my own network and asked if anyone “knew someone” that could satisfactorily meet the requirements of the job. The job board was time consuming and ultimately unsuccessful. The job was filled through networking. And no, they didn’t want to use a staffing firm!

So why is it that colleges don’t include Networking 101 as a required course? We owe it to our graduates to give them the tools that they need to obtain a good job.

Linkedin is a great start and many grads are using it somewhat successfully. Some are reaching out to their alumni networks and even attend alumni get-togethers. Meetups are popular and often attract young people as well.

But parlaying the contacts made online, looking for 6-degree of separation connections, asking for referrals, having a game plan that includes a specific number of outreach phone calls and coffee dates per month, well, the strategy and tactics on how to do that successfully takes a wee bit of education…education that they are not receiving.

So I propose:

• Business Networking 101 and 201 should be required college courses.
• Colleges and universities should “stage” mock networking events on a regular basis.
• In order to graduate, every student must be able to create and deliver a persuasive 30-second elevator pitch.
• Graduates should be required to search out and attend at least two networking events in the month prior to graduation. (No networking events in the area? What an awesome opportunity to create one!)
• Networking “gurus” should be brought to campus to provide students with a “real-life” perspective on how to integrate networking into their job search efforts.

C’mon folks. We simply have to expose our young people to success strategies and in the real world networking is one of the key tools to success.

As anyone that knows me will attest, I am far from a prude and yes, I can absolutely appreciate the allure of a pretty face and hot body.

But really, can’t we do better at a business event?

And, if we are going to use sex and flesh to attract interest how about some equal representation for the females in the crowd. I always look high and low but never do I see a male hardbody in evidence.

So, let’s be fair. If there are sexy girls handing out the raffles, attending to the sign-in and “manning” the booths, let’s make certain that there is some male eye candy as well.

Deal?

You know what I mean, right. You have those networking contacts that always seem to be reaching out and thinking about you (and others), making introductions and generally helping you with information and contacts.

And you have those contacts that regardless of how many times you reach out to them, how many introductions you make and how much help you provide, there is little, if anything that is sent your way in return.

Ugh.
Now I know that some people have difficulty making introductions to their clients and there are many valid reasons for this. That should be no problem at all because introductions to clients are not the only way that a person can reciprocate and be of assistance.

Introductions to other good networkers, introductions to terrific referral sources, introductions to great resources, these are all incredibly beneficial.  But some people, well, they don’t even do that.

Yep, the moniker “taker” fits the bill and in some situations, these folks don’t even know that this is their “brand.”

Rest assured, it might take awhile, but people catch on and then there is not so much taking to be done. The introductions dry up and leads aren’t forthcoming.

So analyze your own situation.  Do you give as well as receive?  Do you make a point of thinking about the people that are generous to you and give back to them in some way or another?

What’s your networking brand? Do YOU give as good as you get?

Most people don’t often take a long hard look at how and where they are networking. They attend events, join groups, spend endless hours and dollars and well, the ROI and ROT (return on time) aren’t examined closely enough (or at all).

• Are you making contacts?
• Are you getting introductions?
• Are you meeting people that you can use as professional and personal resources?
• Are you learning anything?
• Are you meeting people that you can introduce to your clients and other contacts?
• Is it fun?
• Is it cost-effective and are you getting enough for your time and money?

These are just a few of the questions that you should be asking yourself.  It might be just fine to stand around in the evenings holding a glass of wine and chatting it up with other business people. Just fine doesn’t exactly mean productive, worthwhile and effective.  It means just fine and if you can maintain “just fine” networking for an extended period of time, well, that’s just fine.

But if you want to get more for your time and money then do a close examination of what you are doing and make some decisions on how you can improve the outcomes of your networking endeavors.

Note that the lack of results might also be a result of your own lack of activity and output.  If that’s the case, then a little re-engineering of your efforts might be all you need to make it a win-win situation.

Well, for me, it’s really pretty simple and here are the attributes I hold most highly when evaluating someone’s networking prowess.  What about you?  Agree with me?  Have some additional thoughts?

A good/great networker is:

• Generous. They understand that it is at least as important to give s to get and they walk the talk.
• Intuitive. They are able to get beneath the surface story and understand where and how two people will be able to connect in a professional and productive manner.
• An Excellent Listener. They have the ability to listen honestly and deeply, without jumping to premature conclusions about the “worthiness” of their contact.
• Strategic. They understand that networking is a business development strategy and not something in which they engage without planning and process.
• Visionary. Networking takes time and requires patience and vision as to what can develop. They have this down in spades!
• Honest. There are lots of networkers that BS themselves and their networking contacts.  They’ll “think about” how they can help, they “will get back to you” with introductions and you know the story, they do nothing at all.

Agree?  Looking forward to your feedback and comments.

What’s up with that? (Dare I ask, could you be that person who doesn’t follow-up?)

Showing up at events is great but REALLY we all know that business is rarely going to get transacted at the networking event.

It takes time. Relationships must be built, trust must be earned and that doesn’t happen while clutching a glass of wine and standing around shooting the breeze with some new contacts.

It’s not called net WORKING for nothing you know.

So:

• Make sure you reach out to connect with the contacts you made at the event. Do it in a timely manner. Following up weeks later makes you appear as if you aren’t at the top of your game.
• Remember to reach out to explore “synergies” and not simply to cement how the other person can help YOU. Networking is reciprocal and if you can’t figure out how you can help the other person then you need to re-examine your networking tactics.
• Don’t give up too soon. Persistence is a key attribute in the networking game.

Although networking can certainly be a numbers “game,” quality is better than quantity. You don’t need to gather the cards from everyone at the networking event. Be strategic in your conversations and understand that the real work starts AFTER the event.

“My goal for networking is to listen for the “keywords” or something in common to talk about and build a conversation from there.”

Brilliant!!!

Stephanie is a techy from way back and of course she listens for key words:)!  What a great way to explain it.

Lots of people LISTEN but they don’t ACTIVELY listen and hear the salient points, hidden nuggets and yes, key words that can help them to build rapport and start to really engage with the person with whom they are speaking.

Some tips for better listening:

• Lose your own agenda. If you keep thinking about what you are going to say, you are going to stop listening to what the other person is actually saying.
• Be quiet. You can’t speak and listen at the same time.
• Listen to the other person’s tone of voice. Is their tone in sync with their words or is there an obvious disconnect?
• Ask questions. Besides the obvious advantage of learning something relevant asking questions helps you to maintain your focus.

What are your tips for active listening? Share them here with your fellow networkers!

• What do people say about you?
• What comes to mind when they think about you?
• What adjectives do they use to describe you?
• What emotions do you evoke?

Make no mistake about it, your networking brand is critical to your networking success.. It determines the quality and quantity of introductions and leads that you receive. It drives the number of invitations you receive and how much people will reach out to really, I mean really, help you.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do your networking contacts perceive you to be a taker rather than a giver?
• Do you have contacts that have been generous and forthcoming with you and for whom you have never made any sort of introduction, even to a referral source?
• Do you follow-up and follow-through in a timely manner or do you let your introductions go unanswered?
• Do people trust your instincts and are your introductions well thought out?

So back to my starting question: what’s your networking brand?  Take a few moments to reflect upon what you stand for in the networking world, re-engineer if necessary and then watch your results increase as your networking “cred” improves!

Many A’s Netters have been networking for many many many years, long before it became a national pastime, well for business owners anyway.

I thought that it would be fun to go out to our community and see what words of networking wisdom could be shared by members and I’ll be posting them over the weeks and months to come.

Here ya go:

While everyone in business can be a potential networking resource, it is best to target your networking activities to (A) those in an influencer role that connects to your client base and (B) with people who truly understand the power of networking. “B” is critical–many go through the motions but do not understand the “giving” aspect of networking.

By Dominick Bencivenga, Freelance Financial

I must say that I totally agree with Dominick. You can’t network EVERYWHERE and with EVERYONE. For sanity’s sake, you must be strategic about your networking endeavors. And as for networking with folks that “get it” well, that seems to be absolutely fundamental.