Thoughts and tips on successful business networking

Mike Love

Define the business objective

• Every Mayor, Council Leader, Planning Chair, and Education Chair

• Every MP• The PM, every Opposition

Leader• Half of the Cabinet

• >100 new stores in 2001

Why

• Win business• Retain business• Hire talent• Personal development

Who, what, where, when and how…

• Relevance• Timing• Content• Right place, right time,

right way

Being professional

• Create opportunities• Build reputation• Personal Brand• Be a disrupter• Take it seriously

Hosting

Hosting

• Showing off our office• Casual to very formal• Business to Entertainment• All about us to sponsoring

Visiting

• Clubs, societies, groups• Alumni• Associations• Conferences• Events

Mixing

• Overlapping communities and networks

• Connections are not always friends, but friends can often be connections

• Use but do not abuse personal contacts

6 Degrees of Separation

• People who know people• Decision-makers• Influencers• Referrers• Introducers

Talking and listening

• Make a plan• Message House• Follow ups

Be choosy

• Attendees not speakers• What’s happening around

the event• What can you get invited to• Have a reason to be there

TIPS: Face to Face

• Prepare• Introduce properly• Remember (repeat) names• Deliver key messages• Listen, listen, listen!• Search for synergies• Collect memories• Card etiquette• Dress code• You are not at a party – so don’t party! • Notes for follow-up• Follow-up!

TIPS: Virtual

• Catch-ups and reminders by emails, SMS, IM and Tweets … even phone calls are OK

• Don’t use as an excuse for not networking F2F

• For some people virtual can be better• Target people who live online• Online etiquette

Excuses

• Keeping up to speed with job changes and moves

• Watching for news on restructuring, brand initiatives, product development, issues trending

• Identifying opportunities (excuses) to connect

Data

• Networking is a data collection exercise

• Record contacts made, information collected and follow-ups to make

• Diarise catch-up calls, meetings and reminders

• Share!

Keep it fresh

• People move• Roles develop• Companies restructure• Technology changes

• Where is the next place to be and the new people to know?

Identify opportunities

Discuss!