A business owner’s group I belong to on Facebook presents a daily question for all its members to contribute their experiences and opinions.. Today’s question was about a topic that brings a range of reactions from hope to woe… NETWORKING.
I have to admit, it made me cringe because of past memories of business cards being flung at me and not articulating what I do in a brief, concise way. The replies in the Facebook post ranged from the expected of having a supply of business cards handy to the unexpected of samples, gifts and raffles. After reading the replies, I thought back to a LIASB meeting I went to just last week where what was said countered everything I just read! That passing along business cards is NOT the point of networking. The confusion generated by this inspired me to write, so I started my research which furthered the confusion!
Words from “necessary” to “useless” and everything in between populates the internet. So I decided to start with the literal definition:
This works for the purpose, but I think the execution at networking events is what makes this such a dreadful experience for many. Also, the negative view of “selling yourself” or acting like a “salesman” and how most of us have not learned how to “sell” in a less offensive way. I think going to the root word and the fifth definition is more appealing:
This informal approach goes more in line with what was said at the meeting I mentioned earlier. I remembered the speaker saying something like, “If you think your going to hand out a box of business cards and get instant customers, you’re crazy!” He said it’s more about people getting to know who you are as well as what you do so the connections you make will keep you top of mind when someone needs the services or products you provide. This is how the “interconnected” part of the above definition provides the value of networking.
Back to the Facebook group, I first thought it was a little odd to have personal things posted every Monday about what members did over the weekend, but now I see how this can help our group become “interconnected” and create a better network. Exploring this topic has sparked some ideas to come up with ways to have a “stress free” networking event. When I work it out, I’ll share it with you.
Until then, if you’re going to networking event, have the business cards handy, but focus more on learning about the people in the network. It just may begin “the cultivation of a productive relationship.”
