Whenever I am asked to describe what “business networking” is, I often draw upon dating analogies.
Generating successful and profitable relationships is a huge skill in both your personal life and business life. Just a note here to say that by “profitable”, I mean not just those relationships, which produce income. “Profit” can take many forms albeit “reward” in helping a friend or having a fantastic two-way relationship with your husband/partner.
Not being exposed to the dating game much myself, having met my first husband at the tender age of 16 and this relationship lasting until I was 27, when it amicably met its demise, I met my current husband (I love that term! Whenever I say it or write about it I feel like Elizabeth Taylor!!), Andrew, Gorgeous Man (GM to all those who read my Blog) four days after I split up from my first husband, the dating game - rather fortuitously in my opinion - has eluded me.
I did however experience a glimpse of it whilst on a girls’ night out a few years back. I was standing at the bar waiting to be served when a guy came up to me, whacked me on the bottom and asked if he could buy me a drink!
Since becoming a little bit older and also having become a mother, I find this whole episode rather amusing, although at the time I was horrified by his arrogance.
How does this relate to networking?
I know you can see and experience the same kind of behaviour at many networking events still.
Some attendees of these networking events think that this “whack on the bottom” approach is how you kick-start a relationship.
Thrusting a business card in your hand and lecturing you (yes, lecture, not letch!) as to why you should buy their product or service is what some people think networking is about. However, they are soon disappointed when their “Kick ‘em in the ankles” approach generated little reward.
Successful networkers realise that you pull off results when you do the little things to build the relationship.
By being attentive and listening to your fellow networkers needs and aspirations and seeing how you can help them to achieve their goals, is how you win them.
Starting any relationship, albeit personal or business, is based on a two-way street founded on mutual trust and respect will ensure the relationship gets off to a cracking start.
Good luck with building successful profitable relationships over the next few weeks!
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