Connecting is not Enough.....the newsletter

You can read last week's Connecting is not Enough newsletter here.

Includes:

- Getting back in touch with old friends
- Endorsements that count
- How to get the most out of networking video

CONNECTING IS NOT ENOUGH: The Top Ten Ways to Ensure Your Networks are More Effective and Produce Results

This article originally appeared in The National Networker


Last month I wrote in my blog about a friend of mine who struggles to get any return from his networking despite always being generous with his time, his contacts and his support.

I got a lot of feedback on the piece, with many people either recognizing themselves, or people they know well, in the description of my friend.

So why do so many people struggle to attain a real return from their networking? There are a host of possible reasons but I thought this might be a good time to share some ways in which you can get more of a return from your networking.


ONE
Take a long-term view

When I was MD of Business Referral Exchange someone came to us wanting to open a group in his local area. At the time we insisted that a group needed fifteen members to start meeting. It took him time to recruit and when he had eight he came to us to beg to be able to open the group.

“I need business NOW”, he said.

My advice was to pick up the phone and cold call. If you need an immediate return, networking is not the tool for you. Networks are built over time, trust is a key factor in people recommending and referring you, and it does not appear over night. Patience is a key factor, as is a long-term view.

Long-termism in networking also allows you to think on a grander scale. As you develop and build your network, investing into the ‘emotional bank account’, you are creating a stronger bank of support to withdraw from when you need to. If you take from the very beginning, people will soon stop networking with you.


TWO
Define success

Are you clear in your mind what success looks like from your networking?

It is vital that you understand exactly what new business you want to generate, which introductions you need, what support you are looking for. Once you are completely focused on this in your mind, you will find it much easier to determine which events you should attend, recognise opportunities when they come along and to clearly communicate to others how they can help you.


THREE
Hone your message

If you’re not getting support and referrals from people in your network, stop blaming them and look at yourself.

How well are you expressing yourself? How easy do you make it for people to support you?

We all lead very busy lives. As much as we want to support those closest to us, the harder it is to do so, the more likely we will move on and do other things. Make it simple for people. Communicate the support you need, be very specific and, above anything else, when someone is in a position to help you, ask them. Don’t simply assume that they will recognise the opportunity to help you if you don’t point it out.

Of course, this step only works if you have built the relationship with them first and they want to help you.



FOUR
Stay with it

A short-term view in networking unfortunately leads to people writing off various groups and networking sites before giving them a chance to produce a return. Although things are improving, there are still people who attend groups seeking a set number of leads, rather than treating each event as a step in the right direction. As a result, they end up visiting lots of different meetings, collecting bundles of business cards and never building relationships.

If you have taken the advice above and set longer term objectives, you can join the right networks to take you there, with a clear idea of the commitment needed from you to achieve those goals. It is rare that a network will produce to its full potential in the first few months of membership.



FIVE
Engage, don’t broadcast

The growth of sites like Twitter has shown both the best and worst of networking. At its worst, there are people who use sites like this to simply broadcast their message, without listening.

Just as with event sponsors who expect people to buy from them just because they have a stand and a couple of minutes to plug their product at an event, they will be disappointed when the results aren’t quite what they had hoped for.

Networks have moved us towards a society where communication is two-way rather than one. Companies have to listen to their customers now, rather than just sell to them. Similarly, we need to engage with people in our networks, listen to them and join in conversations.

As people find out more about us and as we help them more, they then let us know when they are ready to listen to us and possibly buy from us or pass our message onto our target market.


SIX
Give and take

‘Givers Gain’ is the mantra of members of Business Network International (BNI) and both sides of that equation are equally important.

Thanks to BNI’s motto, it is now commonly recognised that you need to give to your network before you can expect to receive. And those gifts you offer should be without expectation of return; networks don’t always deliver your reward from the same direction in which you gave.

Where many networkers fall down however, is in being ready to take in return. We can be in so much danger of not being seen to ‘hunt’ that we are frightened to ask for help when people are ready and willing to offer it.

Know who wants to support you in your network and understand how they can. Then help them to do so and accept their help without guilt.


SEVEN
A wider perspective

The power of networks lies not in the people in our immediate vicinity but in those they know. And that power is exponential. If we have a strong relationship with 150 people, who each know 150 people well, that means we are within one strong introduction of 22,500 people.

Yet so many people can’t see beyond the person in front of them. They go to events and target ‘low hanging fruit’, talking about products in the lower range of their offering because they think those are more relevant to the attendees at those events, or turning down invitations because they won’t meet prospective clients.

Build relationships with people you get on with and don’t ever worry about selling to them. Instead, develop their trust and they will introduce you to the people they know.

If they are ever in a position to buy from you themselves, if you have developed the right levels of trust and understanding they will do so. In the meantime, they could be referring you to a number of their contacts, which could be a lot more valuable to your business.


EIGHT
Everyone’s an individual

Just because you have built your network to large numbers, it doesn’t mean that they will all act in the same way and respond to the same requests.

I received some national press coverage last year because someone in my network asked how he could help me. Instead of reeling off a list of prospects I’d like to meet, I mentioned that I’d like to build my media coverage. Why? Because he was the former executive editor of a national newspaper. I knew he would be comfortable referring me to someone else from the media.

Get to know your network as individuals. Offer support based on their specific needs; ask for support based on their individual ability to help or their circle of influence.


NINE
It’s not about YOU

“I want to talk to xxx because we want to work with that sector more”.

I have heard so many requests for introductions over the years which focus on why the person wants the introduction, not on the value they offer to the person they are asking to be introduced to. Remember the all important words, ‘What’s in it for them?’

When someone agrees to introduce you, they are going to enter into a conversation where you are not present. They need to be able to answer the questions that they will face confidently and leave the other person interested in speaking to you and eagerly waiting for your call. That means that they see your relevance to them, how you are going to solve their problem.

Focus on communicating that relevance effectively and people will find it so much easier to refer you.



TEN
Take risks

‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs’, as the old saying goes. If you are going to maximize your return from networking, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone and take some risks.

These include:

- Approaching people you don’t know at networking events
- Risking losing referrals by being specific, rather than covering everything when explaining what you do
- Passing up a quick sale to build a long-term relationship
- Using social networks occasionally to tell people about your successes or ask for help

Whatever the risk may be, look at what you want to achieve and ask yourself a simple question.

Which approach is going to take you closer to your goal?

http://help.tweetmeme.com/2009/04/06/tweetmeme-button/

Endorsements that Count

Online networks have made a telling contribution to business marketing in so many ways over recent years. One way they have done this is to raise the importance of, and ease of gathering, business testimonials.

On sites like LinkedIn and Ecademy, people can leave a testimonial for you at any time. LinkedIn has the added advantage of allowing you to decide whether or not to display that testimonial and even ask for edits.

So, what makes a testimonial valuable? While it might be nice for people to share what a great person you are, how good it has been to connect with you or how helpful you have been, do these testimonials really add much value if read by prospective clients?

The best testimonials are those which clearly demonstrate the effect you have had on a client. What problem did you solve and what benefit did they have as a result of using your services?

I occasionally get asked on LinkedIn to provide a testimonial for someone whose services I have had no commercial experience of. What value can I add in such a testimonial? I can repeat hearsay at best. When asking people to provide endorsements, approach those who can add value.

The acid test, when a prospective client or Champion reads the testimonial, should be the impact it will have on their decision to connect with you.

http://help.tweetmeme.com/2009/04/06/tweetmeme-button/

Networking and Referrals Tips and Advice - Ask questions and post your tips

Although I hope you find my blogs interesting and useful, mine is just one voice, one person's experience and opinion. I also post based on my conversations and experiences.

I want to ensure that you have the opportunity to have your say too, and guide some of the blogs that I write so that they answer your questions.

As well as encouraging comments on the blog, I have now set up other ways for you to ask the burning questions you have or share your own experiences:

1. Ask a question for me to answer on this blog - either by emailing me at andy@lopata.co.uk or Tweeting me at www.twitter.com/andylopata

2. Join my Facebook group where you can post short questions on The Wall or post longer questions and your own tips and thoughts on the Discussion Forum.

3. Join my LinkedIn group and post questions or join the discussion there.

I'm keen to hear from you and help you where I can with your networking. Help me do so and get involved.

Get Over It

I bumped into Hermione Way at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden yesterday. Hermione is the entrepreneur and presenter behind Techfluff.tv and Newspepper.com. Through her viral videos, Facebook updates and Twitter comments Hermione has built quite a name for herself over the last couple of years.



Chatting with Hermione about the future direction of her businesses, she talked about the challenges facing her taking the next step. She has a number of exciting plans in the field of internet video production and social media. The problem is one of funding. She is looking for investment but is daunted by the time involved, weight of work and the sheer scale of the task.

This surprised me. I know a lot of people in Hermione's network, she admits herself that she is extremely well connected. The people I know would be perfectly placed to help Hermione both in terms of advice and connections and getting proposals and plans in place. Yet she is frightened to ask.

"I want to be independent", she told me. "I want people to know that I have achieved things myself."

Hermione's reluctance is perhaps understandable. She is a young woman with a brother who is already a well known entrepreneur (Ben Way appeared in the first series of Channel 4's Secret Millionaire show). However my advice was quite simple, Get over it!

Nobody has all of the talents, skills, expertise and experience within themselves to achieve everything we need in business. Successful people surround themselves with others who have abilities they lack. They see the big picture and get support from others achieving their goals.

In sport the best players have coaches who make them better, caddies who advise them on the most appropriate shot, tacticians who use their experience to help them win. Business is no different.

Hermione may have the potential to succeed, but that potential could be lost if she tries to do everything herself. Having surrounded herself with high achievers who have a wealth of experience, she now needs to swallow some pride and ask for some help where she isn't so strong.

Get over it Hermione. If your businesses thrive, you won't be judged any less for having had the courage to ask for help along the way.

The Viral Effect - Twitter for Business

So you don't think Twitter works for business?

Many people still write off Twitter as a waste of time, people boring others with updates on their every mundane move. Twitter has a much more important, viral effect that takes the power of word of mouth and spreads it far and wide.

Dr. Ravi Jain, Medical Director of the award-winning cosmetic clinic, Riverbanks Clinic in Bedfordshire, is very active on Twitter with the username 'VaserLipo'. Cosmetic treatment is not the first industry you might think of benefiting from online networking, but Dr. Jain has recently seen the benefits first hand.



"I saw a new patient and on her 'how did you hear about us?' part of the form, she wrote "TWITTER!" said Dr. Jain. "She was a second generation follower, having seen our information repeated by someone else whose updates she followed.

"She then did some research about us via our website and general Google, and made the journey all the up from London purely based upon word of mouth recommendation."

If you post interesting 'tweets', people will pass them onto their network. This all happens in seconds. Earlier this year I discovered that one article I had written and linked to on Twitter had been 'retweeted' by people in four different continents on the same day.

I'm not aware of anything else that has offered such viral power so quickly. If people trust the updates of those they follow, the opportunities to find new clients quickly and at such low cost is unparalleled.

Whatever your industry.

Learn to make the most of networks - The Sunday Times

Sally Jones has written in this weekend's Sunday Times about the importance of using networking in finding a new career. Sally interviewed me as part of the article.

You can read the full article here.