Networking is not everyone’s favourite thing to do. It can be uncomfortable walking into a room full of people, many of which you may not know, and breaking into conversations already in flow. But if there is one thing we learnt at HRi very early on, it’s that the power of networking and collaboration is a force to be reckoned with.

Networking is invaluable for growing your network, skill set, knowledge, experience and reach. It gives you a sense of being part of a community, and ultimately it helps you grow your business and pipeline.

“Networking is not just about connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.” Michele Jenna’s, The Connectworker.

Networking myths

We explore some networking myths and look at how you can reframe networking to get the best out of the experience. Let’s work through some networking myths.

Networking is for extroverts

We disagree, networking can feel more comfortable for some people than others but it is not just for extroverts. It’s always good to have some extroverts in the room to get conversation going, but networking is an opportunity to build meaningful connections and get to know colleagues, peers, experts in other business areas and specialisms and people who may be helpful to growing your business and increasing your own network and profile.

Some of the most outwardly appearing confident people feel uncomfortable or a little bit nervous or anxious about walking into a room full of people they don’t know. Many people share the same feelings. If you are one of those people that finds it a bit uncomfortable, take another colleague or peer with you for the first couple of meetings, at least you will know one other person and will have someone to stand with and talk to to start with. And don’t feel afraid to simply say “can I join your conversation?” If you want to join a circle of conversation.

Networking is transactional

It is often quite obvious at a networking meeting who is there to ‘do business’ or looking to sell their services. But you will quickly realise that actually, other people in the room aren’t particularly open to that style and approach. Our view is that networking is about building ‘know, like and trust’. And showcasing your skills, knowledge, experience and expertise, and also your personality. People buy from people, and you never know where a lead or an introduction might come from. Those that come to a networking meeting looking to share knowledge and experience, connections, make referrals, provide testimonials and be engaged in learning about what other people in the room do will make more meaningful connections and get more support and validation from their fellow networkers.

Networking is for professional events

There will be professional networking events, probably with a fee for attendance or membership fee. These will be structured to ensure everyone gets their chance to introduce themselves (the elevator pitch). But networking doesn’t have to be a formal/professional event. Networking can be very informal, and can just be one to one having a coffee and a catch up. I often meet contacts one to one to find out more about what they do and ask how I can help them and their business. Networking and making connections can happen anywhere. You might attend a training session and find a great contact you want to keep in touch with, or you might get chatting with someone on a train journey and realise you have business synergy. Be open to discussing your business and what you do and who knows what connections you might make.

Networking is collecting business cards

I haven’t been asked for a business card in ages! More commonly I am asked for, or I have asked for a linked in profile QR code or link. How many business cards you have collected networking is not a good measure of how successfully you have networked. What attendees will remember more is how generous you have been with your time, knowledge and resources. Networking is a two-way street.

Networking is insincere

This very much depends on your approach. There will be people in the room who are looking for a transactional relationship. They may decide if you can’t help them or they don’t align with you and your business that they don’t wish to engage much. However, in my experience this is quite rare. Some of the best business relationships and great colleagues and friends have come from networking meetings. Generally everyone is willing to help and support you. You get out what you put in. Consistency and keeping your promises are helpful.

Networking is time consuming and exhausting

Well in all honestly it can be if you let it. For me, there is always a balance to be had between carrying out client work, attending networking events and meeting people for coffee. You will soon get a feeling about whether certain networking events are worth attending and whether it’s the right place for you to be. It should be something you enjoy doing, or get value from.

For those of you who find networking hard to do and are perhaps more introverted, it can feel tiring. And you may feel like you have to adopt a networking persona, but it is worth the effort. Perhaps some advance preparation of topics you could discuss, or questions you could ask. Think about people you want to engage with specifically might help. Sometimes simply including who you would like to talk to in your intro pitch can work well e.g. “I am looking to work or collaborate with other independent HR practitioners”.

How We Frame Our Networking Approach

If we take the idea of the ‘networking persona’ a bit further there are two approaches to networking.

Networking to Survive

This tends to be more professional and detached, economical, and self-focused. It’s about what an individual wants out of the networking experience with emphasis on outcomes and achievements from that day. This can be summarised as an interaction to determine whether someone is good to know or relevant to you and your business or not, and if not, moving on.

Networking to Thrive

This tends to be more personal and personable. Based on learning and helping others with a view to reaping rewards/outcomes tomorrow and beyond. This is focused on building relationships and therefore a network you can rely on to support you now and in the future, but also that others can rely on you too. This is becoming each others’ cheerleaders.

Work The Room

As you get more comfortable and more familiar with your networking groups and learn more about regular attendees you will soon start to realise that there are many roles that different people adopt. You’ll realise that there will be different people you can approach and talk to about specific questions and ideas. You will also realise that there will be people in this support crew such as your own family and personal cheerleaders that will be included in promoting you and supporting you to get to where you want to get to.

There will be:

• Connectors that want to introduce you to others.
• Inspirers that provide ideas and inspiration.
• Challengers that question and make you accountable, and help you think through pros and cons.
• Champions that love what you do, get what you do and where you are heading. They will tell everyone about you.
• Strategists that will just know what to do next and will come up with a plan, problem solvers that are willing to share ideas.
• Friends – over time friendships will develop.
• Those that give you courage. We all lack a bit of confidence here and there. Some people in your network will see this and will encourage you to be brave and bold and go with your instinct and ideas. This is probably where family and friends sit in your network too.

The key to networking is making your net work for you. Think about what purposeful connections you would like to make to drive your business or career forward. Consider what help and support you can offer to help others to drive their businesses or careers forward.

Author: Charlotte Allfrey | HRi