Networking: activating your network to develop your business

If you read this article you will find that the Networking is undoubtedly essential and to be taken into account in your communication plan.

But how do you set up an effective networking strategy?

Networking, what is it?

Anglicism. The fact of building up a network of relationships and knowing how to take advantage of it, particularly for professional purposes. Sometimes translated by the neologism networking.

According to some studies, 25% of the turnover of small businesses comes from the network and its contacts. This can go up to more than 70% if you are self-employed.

Everyone has a network! Family, colleagues, associations, sports club: all this to tell you that you necessarily have the basics to start developing your network.

What can we expect from the network?

A network is mainly used to find partnerships, customers, suppliers, but also the exchange of information where you can make your network benefit from invitations or upcoming events, pool actions/projects with other freelancers or small companies.

Always ask yourself the question “how am I lucky for the person I meet? ".

Sending your message

The comprehension and transmission of messages are necessarily blurred by undesirable filters, such as surrounding noise, parallel discussions, the telephone ringing, but also by filters that everyone has developed in their existence through their culture, their experiences or even his education.

The important thing when you want to send a message to your interlocutor is to be clear and precise about what you are doing and what you can bring to the person in front of you.

You also have to be concise, because the more words and phrases the message contains, the more the person will remember nothing or very little. Arouse the interest of your target. Remember to get feedback from your audience, as this will allow you to settle in and know where you are in terms of understanding the message.

The message you are going to convey has 3 components:

• Verbal communication: representing 7% (communication by words).
• Paraverbal communication: representing 38% (communication by voice and its intonations).
• Non-verbal communication: representing 55% (communication through gestures).

These percentages (overall averages recorded in 2012) clearly show us that your attitudes are essential to attract the attention of your targets and that, contrary to what one might think, engaging in long and indigestible monologues will make you lose the attention of those listening.

The 4×20 contact rule

There is a non-exhaustive rule regarding making contact and the importance of it. There she is :

• 20 first steps, your step must be sure.
• First 20 words, introduce yourself promptly.
• 20 first gestures, calm and serene.
• 20 cm that separate you from your interlocutor, keep smiling.

There are surely other rules, but this one is more than enough to get in touch with the people you have chosen to approach.

Keep smiling and look friendly, walk with a sure and determined step, establish contact with a frank and direct handshake, always start with polite expressions and check in on the person.

“Networking” is a powerful communication tool, but it is not taken lightly and requires preparation. To do this, all you have to do is ask yourself the right questions:

• What does the company I meet do? Indeed, a little information on the company will allow you to know where you are going and will show your interlocutor that you are interested in what he does.
• Who is my contact? Knowing who you are talking to is essential! A club, an association or a Freelancer do not have the same needs and will not allow you to exchange points of view in the same way.
• Why this meeting? What will be the use of contacting this (or these) person(s)? Am I going to make him a customer? A partner ? A colleague ? So many questions you need to ask yourself before talking to your target and thus avoid wasting time with a contact that will bring you nothing.

All this preparation is necessary and you will automatically get better non-verbal communication because you will be confident.

The elevator pitch

For the record, this term would come from the United States, where a person wishing to speak to his boss for months, managed to do so during an elevator ride and in such a short time managed to convince him.

So, ultimately, what is it? It is an exercise in oral communication which consists in presenting oneself and highlighting one's project in front of a potential partner or investor and whose time is limited. The expression refers to the very short duration of the intervention: the intervention must be able to be carried out in a very short period of time.

To help you achieve this, there are 4 fundamental questions to ask yourself:

• About me
• What am I for?
• How do I do it?
• What is my difference?

Once these questions are resolved, you are able to present your work and your usefulness to your target.

Maintaining your network

Several things to think about and do when you leave a cocktail party, a meeting or a discussion lunch:

• The next day: send thank you emails with a little reminder of who you are and what you do and why not a request for a more concrete professional meeting.
• Possibly a note for the event organizer or your host. It is not mandatory, but he will think of you when organizing the next event.
• Important: keep your commitments! During evenings or exchange meetings, be careful what you say and if you say it, then do it!
• Follow up on your relationships using contact management tools like Excel or Outlook for the best known or via social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn).
• Remember to share your information with your network, to inform your partners about upcoming events. If you are invited to a party or other and it is impossible for you to go, then think “network”: offer the invitations to people likely to be interested. So many small intentions that will ultimately have much more impact than you think.

In short: the Networking attitude

To think Networking is to know how to listen, to know how to exchange, to mutually enrich each other, to connect people who would never have met without you and to take pleasure within one's network.

There is one important thing to never forget: never arrive with your big clogs giving away your business card, rather come with ideas. Give before you receive.

Do not hesitate to surround yourself with people you trust and organize various events to expand your own network or that of your partners. Conferences, breakfast or lunch, welcome cocktails, information meetings, training workshops where you will share your experiences.

To summarize : occupy the ground !