Participatory Networking
April 29, 2008
A while back, I heard Yousef Shafiee of RBN speak about effective networking. One particularly important piece of advice he gave was this: When you network, participate fully in the process.
A significant part of my job is business development, and I’ve chosen to include networking in that mix. Surprisingly, a number of people who attend the meetings that I attend participate only minimally. They do their commercial, of course, and present when it’s their turn, but that’s about as far as their participation goes.
I believe that participation is essential to building quality relationships in networking groups. It means not only attending faithfully, but also taking on responsibilities, such as serving on the board, serving as a committee chair, or just serving on a committee.
When you’re just a spectator (or a hustler) at networking events, it’s much harder to develop good relationships. But when you really participate, your fellow members get to see you in action and learn how reliable, trustworthy, and creative you are. As a result, they’ll be more comfortable referring business to you in the future.
So when you engage in face-to-face networking activities, be more than just a presence. Participate fully and enthusiastically, and you’ll make your networking efforts all worthwhile!
— Debi Calvet
© 2008 AdvantGroup LLC
