8 ms·

Why You Should Invest Your Time In Networking

18 points by jeffepp 16y ago

JacobAldridge 16y ago
Excellent list of returns from networking. They key for me (and I run workshops and business coaching projects on the topic) is building a smaller number of deep relationships, rather than running all over town creating hundreds of shallow relationships. Only deep relationships provide the opportunities, advice, support and friendship the OP notes. Most networking is not like this, however, which is why it has a bad reputation. Most networking events are about quantity not quality - quick, everyone in the room introduce themselves for 30 seconds as if that's going to give you the confidence to refer a friend to somebody. Most attendees at those events want referrals, which is the key reason they don't work for that outcome. People who get the most referrals are the people who give the most referrals. So the people who need referrals most are the very people who aren't good at giving them out. Fill a room with people who need referrals, and you're filling a room with people who don't give referrals. It's a viscious cycle of disappointment - grab the first interesting person you meet there and go somewhere else for coffee.
- bradendouglass 16y ago
  Last sentence: "It's a viscious cycle of disappointment - grab the first interesting person you meet there and go somewhere else for coffee." is completely dead on. People are beyond shallow at 99.9% of these events but they keep on coming back beating that networking ROI drum. Sorry, being a part of clubs, committees and boards is simply stroking your own ego. Get out, meet people and put yourself in odd and different situations. Relationships formed from these interactions will be the ones that you cherish and keep giving back year after year.
- petercooper 16y ago
  Aren't there two tiers to this? Almost everyone will benefit more from the deeper networking you're talking about, but for certain paths, a second tier of "celebrity" and exposure based networking could be essential - Gary Vaynerchuk is a prime example of this in action, IMHO. He clearly has deep ties to a small group of people, but his "shallow" networking-en-masse skills are a big part of his new found celebrity. Most professionals I know have modest networks where the relationships are usually strong, but the really successful people I know have a second, significantly larger network they can lean on and are "famous" within.

18 points by jeffepp 16y ago

Excellent list of returns from networking. They key for me (and I run workshops and business coaching projects on the topic) is building a smaller number of deep relationships, rather than running all over town creating hundreds of shallow relationships. Only deep relationships provide the opportunities, advice, support and friendship the OP notes. Most networking is not like this, however, which is why it has a bad reputation. Most networking events are about quantity not quality - quick, everyone in the room introduce themselves for 30 seconds as if that's going to give you the confidence to refer a friend to somebody. Most attendees at those events want referrals, which is the key reason they don't work for that outcome. People who get the most referrals are the people who give the most referrals. So the people who need referrals most are the very people who aren't good at giving them out. Fill a room with people who need referrals, and you're filling a room with people who don't give referrals. It's a viscious cycle of disappointment - grab the first interesting person you meet there and go somewhere else for coffee.

bradendouglass 16y ago
Last sentence: "It's a viscious cycle of disappointment - grab the first interesting person you meet there and go somewhere else for coffee." is completely dead on. People are beyond shallow at 99.9% of these events but they keep on coming back beating that networking ROI drum. Sorry, being a part of clubs, committees and boards is simply stroking your own ego. Get out, meet people and put yourself in odd and different situations. Relationships formed from these interactions will be the ones that you cherish and keep giving back year after year.
petercooper 16y ago
Aren't there two tiers to this? Almost everyone will benefit more from the deeper networking you're talking about, but for certain paths, a second tier of "celebrity" and exposure based networking could be essential - Gary Vaynerchuk is a prime example of this in action, IMHO. He clearly has deep ties to a small group of people, but his "shallow" networking-en-masse skills are a big part of his new found celebrity. Most professionals I know have modest networks where the relationships are usually strong, but the really successful people I know have a second, significantly larger network they can lean on and are "famous" within.