WHAT do you do when you are standing before a potential business contact, and you are supposed to initiate a discussion which should lead to you expanding your business network? How do you even begin?
No doubt, networking is important. In fact, you probably can’t do much without it if you are a business person in the modern age (except you’re content with remaining at the subsistence level). But it can be really uninspiring, especially when your attempt to add another name to your ‘crucial contacts’ list makes you fall into the trap of engaging in awkward conversations- and you wind up trying hard to politely disentangle yourself from it all. Still, you have to network. The growth of your business might depend on it.
You should bear in mind and act upon the following points if you are to take the networking process beyond the first few minutes of interaction and make it into a worthwhile, business enhancing activity:
- Know what you want: Clearly define what you would want from the people you network with. Know what needs can be met by having contacts to which you can turn to when they arise, as well as what sort of contacts and where they can be found. Not having a clear understanding of what can be gained from the contacts you wish to have will lead you to creating something that is little more than a friends list which contributes next to nothing to you, businesswise. But remember: you should also be sure that you add value to them too. A mutually beneficial relationship is more likely to last than a one sided partnership.
- Exchange information: Resist the urge to derail from the point of engaging in the conversation. Get down to business after the introduction and niceties. Don’t dwell upon irrelevant talk. The aim of starting the conversation should be to ascertain what line of business the company for which the person you’re discussing with is involved in. Also ask questions about things that could help you come to a conclusion as to whether the contact is worth adding to your network: capabilities, time-bound plans, customer base, and knowledge of the industry in which they operate, etc. This should be the case whether the talking takes place physically or via other media. By the end of the discussion, you should be able to decide on the suitability or otherwise of the potential contacts to meeting the needs you have- and indeed, the possibility of your help benefiting them.
- Build upon the first meeting: If you decide that your new contact affords you a mutually beneficial relationship which meets each other’s needs, you should go on to build upon your first meeting with them. Supply each other with regular updates and valuable information about opportunities; advice and encouragement should also be given when they are sought. You can’t do this if you do not see your contacts first of all as people, who have aims and goals just like yourself.
- Continuously reevaluate your network: You will have to review your network as the size of your business and the direction it takes changes. Some of the contacts who once got a lot of your attention may not be as important to you going forward, as new ones come into the fray, or those previously considered ‘not as useful’ become ‘more needed’. But whatever the case may be, do not severe the ties you have with them. You never know when you will need their help again.