Networking: Beyond the Buzzword

By Susan RoAne, Author of several books, including Networking: Beyond the Buzzword.

The term is network; not netOVERwork. Yet, that is what so many people have done and continue to do and that has given the process now known as ‘networking’ a bad name and heightened it to “buzzword” status and that is unfortunate. Because the process of networking, the creation of community and the village it takes are the "barn raisings" of today.

It amuses me that so many people regard this verb that was formerly a noun as a NEW route to business success and job search. It has been around since the beginning of time. “No room at the inn, could you perhaps recommend a barn with a manger?” (not manager) .Throw in three wise men, some cherished spices and a bright star from Bethlehem and --- you know the story. People helping people; people who need people--- are the luckiest people in the world - according to Barbra Streisand.

The savvy networkers are the ones who ‘get’ it and know how to behave, understand reciprocity and are willing to be a resource. They acknowledge leads, ideas, support and information and do so sincerely. That helps in building a sales team and a loyal customer base. Today people are looking at new and better ways to work, hangout and relate ---both online and face to face.

The world belongs to the person who is aware of these concepts, practices the actions and believes that all networking is about is HELPING others and allowing them to assist you. We humans need each other and we need to feel needed. The scientific term is INTERdependence. Period. End of story? NOT quite.

It's not about WHAT you do; although that is a subtext. NETWORKING … Beyond the Buzzword is about who you ARE. It's a LIFESTYLE, not a workstyle. A recent article appeared in the Kansas City Star about networking as a job search activity. But it's so much more.

Before he wrote The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley was a professor at Georgia State who studied the habits of millionaires since the early 80’s. His research yielded that the one thing these millioniares (back when that was a lot of money) had in common was the possession of HUGE rolodexes; and they used them for the benefit of others as well as themselves. They cross- referred, made phone calls on behalf of others and KNEW the people in their rolodexes and could converse when they made the call. And they stayed in touch with their rolodex dwellers. (Today we might call them our data base-line). People who build good organizations do the same. Staying in touch with people we know is powerful. We can do so "old school." (on the phone, at events, penning a note) as well as new ways: via linked-in, facebook or twitter. The bottomline is that the millionaires stayed in touch with people they met, knew and wanted to know better.

This premise of reciprocity is crucial to good networking and has not changed in decades. It's an underpinning of successful interactions and communication whether face to face or online. The effective, powerful people we know just know a lot of people. They can contact them, interact and make things happen on our behalf in a way that can contribute to our business growth. And we must return the favor.

In the mid 80’s Dr. Robert Kelley studied the scientists of Bell Labs to identify what skills the most effective and successful scientists possess. Results: they were STAR networkers. They knew colleagues in other companies, classmates, co-workers, professional cronies and when they had a problem or question and placed a call; their calls were taken… or returned within 24 hours. They had a NETWORK in place by virtue of being involved BEFORE they had problems which required support, information or advice from it. Ultimately, that allowed them to fix problems quicker and be more effective on the job. The next level of scientists had good networks but their calls and subsequent solutions they sought were delayed by several days.

Conclusion: Having a network that knows us makes us more efficient, effective and perceived as powerful and grows our business.

Follow-up is a critical component to building a client and referral base. If someone recommends we call or email a friend or contact, do it. We never know who will refer the next great sales person on your team. A laid- off Lehman exec said that the interviews she had all came from phone calls and face to face meetings where people just thought of people for her to call in that moment. She believes that the conversations inspired more connections than email or tweets would have generated.

FACT: We all have networks. We were born into them, went to school with them, were in afterschool activities and clubs, attended camps, played sports, went to religious school, worked, volunteered for charity and lived in neighborhoods with other people. We still do.

FACT: We all have a talent or skill to share in our networks.

FACT: Respect, common sense and common courtesy are the triangulated foundation of networking.

FACT: What you know is important; who you know is even more important. But WHO knows you is the key. Even further: WHO WANTS to know you. We may know someone who is not at all interested in being associated with us; let alone referring us to a job lead, client or even their auto mechanic.

The goal: to be comfortable in your own skin in the myriad situations of your professional and personal lives. Build your network by building relationships with ease, comfort, aplomb and success, creating connections that are meaningful.

This article is based on Susan RoAne's ebook of the same title.

Susan RoAne, keynote speaker and author of How To Work A Room®, The Secrets of Savvy Networking and most recently, Face To Face: How To Reclaim The Personal Touch in A Digital World. Her clients include the US Air Force, Chase Back, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Boeing, Wharton School of Business, Procter and Gamble, Hershey Foods.

Visit: www.susanroane.com Follow: www.twitter.com/susanroane.