Business Networking Strategy

I have been interviewed for this Yorkshire Post article following Microsoft's purchase of a stake in Facebook. Is the money being spent on social networks reaching unsustainable levels?

There is no such thing as a self made person. You will reach your goals only with the help of others." George Shinn This is one of many thought-provoking quotations in Nigel Risner's excellent new book 'The Impact Code'. I have just finished reading the book. However, I know that the last statement cannot be correct. If I have finished reading the book I will not get any value from it. Some books are great entertainment. Some books get you thinking. Some books make a real impact on your life.

As part of National Enterprise Week, of which I'll be posting more shortly, I will be speaking at Buckingham Chilterns University on Tuesday 13th November. The University have put together an impressive week of events to celebrate Enterprise Week, including a Dragons Den session, a Business Club Dinner and Awards Ceremony and a showcase by Levi Roots, the 'Reggae Reggae Sauce' star of the last Dragons Den series. Full details can be found here.

My article "Well Known British Network Celebrates Ten Years" for The National Networker in the US is now live on their site. You can read the article here. In the article I discuss the first ten years of UK business network Ecademy and interview founders Penny and Thomas Power.

As you may know, I had a full page article published in The Sun newspaper this week under the headline 'Network to Get Work'. The Sun asked me to provide tips on networking based on seven questions often asked by small businesses. If you didn't see the article, I'll reproduce the questions here over the next few weeks, together with my response. How Easy is it to Sell at Networking Events?

It feels as though I am in the middle of a networking marathon at the moment. Ten events in seven working days just feels like networking overkill, even for me. I didn't plan it that way, and I certainly wouldn't recommend this level of networking activity to anyone. Although I am making some fantastic new connections and new opportunities are opening up for me on a daily basis, I am struggling to find the time to follow up with my contacts, arrange meetings with people I have just met and keep up with emails, paperwork and this blog. The fact is, you can simply overnetwork.

You may have heard about how networking is more about farming than hunting. Successful business networkers sow the seeds of long-term relationships and reap the benefit over time, while failed networkers spend their time chasing down their prey at networking events, with the business card as their weapon of choice. Now imagine that you are a graphic designer with a small business. You meet the head of a major local advertising agency at an event, someone who surely has a need for your services. How do you react?

It's amazing the difference a small step can make. Just doing one thing every day that you would not normally do can bring tremendous results. If you set goals from your networking, plan the results you want and then ask yourself what you need to do to achieve those goals, you are more likely to take those extra steps. I recently ran a workshop for NatWest Bank Business Relationship Managers on developing a strategy for their networking.

A recent survey by the Department of Business and Enterprise found that over 99% of the 4.5 million businesses in the UK are classified as 'small', in that they employ fewer that 50 people. In an economy where the 'corporate' business takes the spotlight in the media and in our minds, small businesses are the engine driving us forward. Yet, still so many of us still avoid speaking to other small businesses when attending networking events. We are looking to sell our services to bigger businesses, because that is where we know we can win good contracts and secure our futures.

For many people, the challenge with networking is their fear of approaching people they don't know at business networking events. If you can't get beyond this hurdle, then it will be very difficult for you to incorporate business networking into your overall development strategy, either personal or business. In '...and Death Came Third!', I covered a range of ideas to help people to overcome this fear. I looked at how to rationalise the fear; focus on approaching individuals or open groups, rather than couples; get to the event early; act as the host and a range of other ideas.