Good pointers about how to network

The author Simon Phillips is a mentor and trainer who specialises in coaching for business networking. As such he does a good job of providing some good pointers about how to network, both in the online and offline worlds.

Networks can be closed, selective, open or a hybrid of all. Closed networks typically follow the principle outlined in Dunbar’s Law that states that the brain cannot process more than 150 relationships at a time. They have several advantages including intimacy and sense of belonging. Such groups can easily see when members are helping other members, thereby enhancing the goodwill within the group.

Knowing the person in your network well is crucial and an individual who has a reputation for being both reliable and dependable is very easy to refer or recommend because the person doing the referring feels confident that their reputation is not at risk.

Selective networks are semi-closed. Such networkers ignore routine LinkedIn requests and scrutinise more personal requests to see what’s in it for them. Their aim is to build a network that they can personally vouch for. This may be appropriate for some businesses but the downside of this controlling approach is that you may miss opportunities that often arise randomly.

Open networkers make liberal use of platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest and join groups with the sole aim of making more contacts. Open networking comes at a price, however; you have to work out how to manage potentially large numbers of emails, connection requests irrelevant news items and spam. The pluses, however, are diversity and the potential to make some exceptional contacts.

Many opportunities do not come from your close networks but from your distant and weakest ties. Open networkers score well as they don’t make short-term judgments about the value of the people that may wish to connect with them. Instead, they trust that some value added in the future justifies making the connection.

Online networking expert Thomas Power, quoted here, suggests that you should aim for an inner circle of about 50 contacts. If people you want are not there, you should have a strategy to get them there.

The book presents a networking evaluation framework or scorecard as the author terms it, working on the principle of what gets measured gets done. The aim of this is to keep the most important activities and information that you need to expand your network right in front of you.

Networking actions and future plans should be reviewed weekly. One of the advantages of this approach is that it can be systemised and therefore duplicated – critical if you have aspirations of developing your business beyond yourself.

In terms of face-to-face networking, a five-step approach is suggested. This starts with planning. Wherever possible, you should aim to get a list of attendees of an event before you go to. Some websites will facilitate this. If this isn’t possible, just ask the organisers, who will generally oblige.

Where you do meet new people, don’t underestimate the importance of providing your full attention during that time, an increasingly rare commodity in a world full of distracting messaging platforms, the author advises.

When following up after an event, strike when the iron is hot and build a bridge between the event and the next networking opportunity and see where you can take it.