If you’re blogging, you’re interested in meeting people. Partly on a genuine personal level, partly on a mercenary ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’.
Nothing wrong with that – it’s no good being the best at what you do if nobody knows about it. This list from Tricia Murphy’s Website (articles – no blog) shows how to network without feeling like a politician. I’d disagree with number 3, but the rest seem common sense.
| 1. | Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and building trustful and mutually beneficial relationships. |
| 2. | Tell people how they can help you, if they don’t know, they can’t help! |
| 3. | Send handwritten thank you notes, in an electronic world it makes a great impression!! |
| 4. | Keep people in the loop – let your sources hear how they have been of help FROM you!! |
| 5. | Stay in touch when you need nothing from the other person. |
| 6. | Ask someone you know to introduce you to someone you particularly want to meet. |
| 7. | Lead by example – pass on information, introduce people and be known as the connector, a valuable place in any network. |
| 8. | Keep an open mind when meeting new people – you never know who you need to meet until you have met them! |
| 9. | Be involved – be seen on the scene. |
| 10. | Nurture your network it will nurture you!! |
Thanks to Tom for the (indirect) link to this via the Events Day conference.
Paul Browne 
Have you been Kintished yet?
Paul – I’m a networking slut, but it’s because I love meeting AND connecting people with other people I know. I get a real kick out of it. Because of this approach, I tend to build a great network of business partners, collaborators and sometimes even clients. Some turn into good friends.
This is one topic I’d love to write a book on but don’t have the time or skill! 🙂
3 is a bit crap and 7 is my fav.
@Paul W – ‘networking slut’ – is that printed on your business card?!
@Jeremy – not sure if I get the reference.
I’m trying to get better at the networking side of things. A great help is the blog (so people know me in advance / can look me up later) and LinkedIn (keeps track of the network / useful in formalising the ‘Ill help you if you help me’)
Paul B.
Paul B – no, it has slapper so I need to get it corrected 😉
Check out Facebook, I’ve noticed it’s pretty good for building and joining networks.
You mean you don’t know Will Kintish!!
Just Google him.
@Paul W – will check out facebook then , until now I thought of it more as a myspace clone.
@Jeremy. That means I haven’t been Kintished then 🙂
Main area I need to concentrate on isn’t the events (I can talk to complete strangers quite easily – long story) but the motivation / inclination to keep in touch afterwards.
Paul, thanks for the mention. I’d add to this join social networking sites (LinkedIn, Xing, Facebook and even Flickr and the like).