Networking is apparently the second oldest profession, which doesn’t come with a free lunch. So how do you get the most out of it?

“There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” could be translated into Latin and used as the motto of the dedicated networker, but perhaps the counter argument is ‘You get what you pay for’. Granted it doesn’t give you a snappy acronym but haec vita est.

If it were the most talented and highly qualified people at the top, it would be a natural progression in moving up the ladder. Perhaps you think business works like that and that networking is a waste of time.

Landing on your feet

Sometimes people just land on their feet and the clients, the contracts, the job promotions and the new job opportunities line up at the door. Yet there are lots of businesses all around you who need products, services, staff, ideas and materials – businesses which decide to award these procurements, contracts, promotions, pitches and orders based on who comes first in an alphabetical flick through the Yellow Pages, simply because they don’t know that you are there.

A multi-million pound advertising campaign is one way round the problem, another is to start networking and let people know you are out there.

• Yet how many times have you heard someone say the best form of marketing is a personal referral? Word of mouth?
• Have you ever learned to network?
• Have you ever learned a foreign language?

Any foreign language course will usually start by reassuring you that you already know a lot of the words (Ok not necessarily if you are learning Mandarin, but work with me here) and you are a lot further down the path of learning than you first realised.

Two bits of good news

There are two bits of good news with regards to learning how to network:

1. You already know how to network and
2. You don’t need to learn a foreign language to do it.

Networking, put simply, is meeting people, chatting, learning about them and telling them about you. The more you do it, the wider and more useful your personal network. You learn who has strengths in particular areas, who is reliable, cost effective (to their face, cheap behind their back) and a whole lot of people know who you are, and what you can do for them.

Networking is collaboration

Networking is also about collaboration and by introducing two companies / two people to each other. You may not gain anything but goodwill, but goodwill is a valuable commodity that is too hard to measure. Apart from the glow of unselfish pleasure this good deed brings, you are increasing your own stock with both parties. One side grateful for the potential new client and the other for helping them identify a new source.

It really doesn’t matter what you call it or what new buzzwords are added, networking will always be with us in one form or other and there will always be those who ignore it and others exploiting it to the full. Networking is about paying it forward and reaping the success of helping others help you.

Access others networks

As your own personal network expands it will give you access to the networks of the people you meet. Your phone will stay very quiet if the people you meet think you are going to frantically sell them something every time they ring.

You want to be the hub, the person people phone when they need to find someone with a peculiar skill or service, but you also want to know others with their own resources…if only to shout on them when you come up with a blank when asked if you know a Peruvian Nose Flautist who does Bar Mitzvahs. And no, before you ask I don’t know one, but I’m sure I know someone who does

By Lindsay Bannerman

Tel: +44 (0)845 130 3385
Email: info@networkingin90mins.com
Web: http://www.networkingin90mins.com

About Lindsay Bannerman
She is a keynote speaker on the subject of networking and the author of Networking in 90 Minutes. You can contact her or buy a copy of her book at http://www.networkingin90mins.com