Tool Box
Issue No. 48 - August/September 2009
Making Networking work for you
by Craig Stubing
It’s about generating good ‘commentary’ through personal visibility. It’s about seeing and being seen. It’s about growing your business. Although networking is the specific purpose of designated networking functions opportunities to network also present themselves at general business functions and get-togethers. While this article was written with the networking function scenario in mind the ideas contained can be applied generally.
During any networking opportunity you will meet people who are of particular interest to you – there will also be others who, for various reasons, are of limited interest. Savvy networkers recognize this reality and act accordingly.
Here are some points to consider – Don’t be shy If you go to a networking function you owe it to yourself to do some networking. This means making yourself known to strangers. To do this you must be prepared to break the ice rather than waiting for others to do it for you.
For example, if you are seated at a networking lunch you can do this by taking some business cards out of your pocket and passing them around the table saying the same time “Do you mind if I give you one of my business cards?” What will happen then is that the others on the table will do the same. Ideally this means that everyone at the table has one of everyone else’s cards. Don’t just put the cards in your pocket – look at them and ask conversational questions to clarify what each person does.
While not ignoring anyone, glean more information from those who are of particular interest. If you are at a cocktail-party style networking function you must be prepared to break in to couples and groups and introduce yourself. An easy way to do this is to join the couple or group and at the same time say “Do you mind if I say hello?” (It is a networking function after all! That’s why people are there.)
Once you’ve introduced yourself give each person one of your business cards. You...
