Kim Kline from AccessProfiles, Inc in Glenshaw, PA commented on my post of my recent blog
entries, Secret to Success at Networking Mixers - Do Unto Others! It's a two-fer! on LinkedInGreater Pittsburgh: “I think a lot of
networking is given a bad name. It is preconceived as being a 'hard
sell' (like the stereotypical used car salesman). Sadly, networking can be
that way, but it does not have to be!”
This brings to mind the huge lack in our university education
system! No “business networking” is
taught. Even in the work force,
networking education is not there. I
worked for several Fortune 500 companies and had great opportunities for training
– quality, problem solving, innovation, software, hardware, team work, you name
it, but networking education was never
offered. In fact, I didn’t see any such
training until I was out of work! And I only had this opportunity because I had
access to an outplacement firm – one of those groups that help executives remake
themselves to find another job. Very few
of us in business have that opportunity so we’re left without any real
networking skills.
Many business
owners tell me their new customers comes from “word of mouth” – referrals. I remember my Sales Coach, Dan Hudock from Sandler
Sales Institute once said that he runs across students all the time who tell him
that their prospecting plan is to network. When he asks them how their business is going,
they tell me they don’t have enough.
Largely this is because networking is not repeatable or controllable
for most business people. It’s like fishing when you can’t see the pond. You throw your line out there and aren’t sure
if you will hit water, let alone get a bite or better yet, land a fish. You don't catch enough fish so you cast the line more often, but this still doesn't result in any more fish.
I work with business owners to understand that
networking is about the process of forming a relationship that results in
building a network partner with whom we exchange referrals. The process can be repeatable and
controllable if we know what to do. The process I use, The
Relationship Maturity Model, consists of steps to find a personal connection,
build trust for each other, develop an understanding of each other’s business so you can recognize the right people to refer and then know how to start a conversation with them about your network partner, and create a steady stream
of referral opportunities for each other.
Success with networking doesn't happen overnight - it takes time. And there's hard work involved. But it is controllable and repeatable. This makes networking simple…but not necessarily easy.
This blog article is spot on. The real truth to networking is that it is a process, and sometimes a long one. However, creating that symbiotic relationship is key to reaping the benefits everyone wants!
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