Networking is one of those things all of us are told to do regularly, yet most of us confess we could do better and more often. Networking Thoughtfully: The 30 Minute Read That Could Change Your Life is a speedy read that promises to help you.
Children are perfect role models in how to network, says the author Martin Wheadon. They are opinionated, talk without fear of rejection, laugh a lot and are good at both introducing people they meet to friends and at staying in touch.
Networking, he says, is not just for winning new business or making new business associates – it will also bring you up to date with events in your industry.
The book reads as a series of 30 lessons, the most memorable of which is to be “interesting” for seven seconds and “interested” the rest of the time in any conversation. This way, you are most likely to get to the nub of what the person you are chatting to is looking for – and how you can fill their gap.
“Your thinking or mindset should be: ‘What can I do for them?’ not: ‘What can this person do for me?’” he writes.
Wheadon also recommends you know your own unique selling point and can translate that into 10 reasons why someone should want to buy from you. Turn the features of your product or service into benefits by inserting the phrases “which means …” and “which will result in you having …”, he says.
Separate out the business cards you collect at events into long-term possibilities from business opportunities you can take advantage of straight away. Write the date, event and a snippet of something interesting on the back. And if you accept a card, do contact the person.
Do not ever be afraid to ask for business or to ask a person if they know someone else who could help you, says Wheadon.
This is a quick and easy read, although most of the tips are common sense. But it might provide the incentive you need to get out there networking.
After all, networking is powerful. Consider this: almost half of jobs are filled by networking, rather than recruiters or job boards, according to a 2013 study by Right Management.
The book is published by Troubadour and available to buy on Amazon.com in paperback for US$8.58 or on Kindle for $4.93.
Q&A: Suzanne Locke offers some more insights from Martin Wheadon's Networking Thoughtfully:
How did you become so good at networking?
I was working as a senior business manager for a bank in the City of London, a 30-year career. I wanted a way for my customers to meet and do business together, so I started an afternoon club called The High Tea Club, offering coffee and sandwiches. I sponsored it myself so I would have the freedom to fail without being accountable to anyone. When I went networking, I invited people along, and thus fresh blood was infused. The club was discontinued after I left the bank.
You say it’s best to stay to the very end of a networking event – why?
Because I am quite introverted in social situations where I don’t know anybody, any time I stay to the end is a triumph. People often tend to be more themselves because you are more relaxed.
How should we prioritise contacts?
Separate into three sets. Gold: you both got on well and felt you could help and it’s just a phone call away. Silver: the same situation would need time to develop, and for trust and a relationship to build. Bronze: it was nice to have the conversation, but you don’t think you can help them at the moment, nor they you – but maybe in the future.
How can you possibly describe yourself and your business in seven seconds?
By understanding the very essence of what the company is and what it stands for.
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4/5
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