My Networking Journey
I think we can all liken networking to marmite, you either love it or hate it. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, the majority of us who, at one stage, have set up our own business, have also embarked into the networking world. I expect most of us would probably have felt nervous and rather have stayed at home, within the security of our 4 walls!
However, without meeting other business owners the chances of finding new business is pretty slim. Even though I was quietly terrified of walking into a room full of business people I knew I had to put my big girl pants on and get myself out there. It was hard to start, but after persevering, consistently turning up and continuing to nurture the relationships I’ve made I’m actually starting to enjoy networking and want you to enjoy it too.
Networking – not just for business but to find friends
Where did networking begin for me? I might have told a little lie above as I have ‘sort of’ been networking before, but not in a business atmosphere, this was to find friends – very different but with a similar concept.
My first networking event was in Hong Kong! Arriving in a city full of strangers the first thing (other than finding somewhere to live, a job etc) is the need to make new friends. I started by signing up to various groups via Meet Up, Geo-Expat and Sassy Girl Hong Kong and my first event was a Thai dinner at Soi 7 where I was the first guest to arrive – I don’t know if that’s better or worse!
I sat contemplating to myself who I would meet, would I connect with anyone and make any friends, or would I find that these people weren’t my cup of tea? Luckily for me, the first person to turn up was a Chinese girl called Zoe, we sat together, got chatting and hit it off straight away. She was a lawyer, I’ve worked my whole career in a law firm so the connection was instant. It was inevitable that we would become the best of friends and hang out for the duration of my time in Hong Kong.
My first networking event…..as an employee!
Living in Asia has been a huge part of my life, it’s made me so much more assertive and confident and whilst in Hong Kong I began working for an independent law firm Tanner De Witt. I was an Assistant Marketing Manager which was a little bit different from my usual PA role and there were many occasions when I was pushed outside my comfort zone and had to do things that worried, daunted and nerved me beyond belief. It’s because of that I became more confident and learnt new things.
It was during this role that I began networking with other business professionals through company events that I helped to organise. I’d be there to greet guests, tick them off the list, ensure everyone had a drink, everyone was happy and so on. Meeting different people from all nationalities and businesses was so interesting, some were local, and the rest were expats, so it’s easy to strike up a conversation.
Learning the Chinese tradition of exchanging business cards with both hands was also an experience (and I have nearly done it here on many occasions as got so used to it).
Networking to find business
Fast forward to now – January 2019. I have started my own business and I know I need to start networking to meet other business owners who will hopefully want to work with me… eeekk!
I’ve done this before (sort of), surely it will be a walk in the park, I’m great with new people, I’m approachable, I can easily chat to others but my golly, it’s so different. Mixing with industries I know nothing about (I’ve spent my career surrounded by lawyers remember), is a whole new world and I’m not there to find my next best friend or to make sure people have name badges or drinks.
As the face of my business, I want people to like me and hopefully want to work with me one day. My reputation on the line so I need to make sure I know who I am, what my business is and what I do, how to sell my services and to also adapt my selling technique to the people I meet.
My first networking event… as a business owner!
Googling networking events in your area (Wiltshire for me) will bring up a lot of choices, the big players being BNI and 4Networking. You can also search on Eventbrite for local events.
Whilst browsing on LinkedIn one day I came across Spotless Networking which is organised by the lovely Darren Clarke and Kelly Holbrook. I remember now turning up in the car park and was so tempted to turn around and drive back out, I felt so unconfident and nervous which is not like me at all!
Sitting in the car I remembered all the times I’d turned up to other ‘events’ (which had turned out to be the best decisions I’d made). I gave myself a good talking too, “You’re not going to succeed if you don’t turn up”, “You’ve worked too hard to back out now” and “don’t be a bloody wimp”. Okay, deep breath, open the car door “Let’s do this”.
How to walk into a room and pretend you’re a networking pro
Walking into a room when there are already various groups of people chatting makes you think everyone knows each other and you’re the newbie who knows no one! The absolute truth is, these people are strangers, most of them have probably met for the first time and felt just like you did when they first arrived!
I sensed this the first time I arrived at the Spotless event. I thought everyone knew each other, had already made friends etc, so I made a point of finding the event organisers, had a chat with them and then busied myself reading leaflets. It wasn’t long until someone else approached the table (probably feeling the same as me), we got chatting and it flowed easily from there.
Sales has never been an area I’ve worked in and I confess to not being very good at it so I didn’t worry too much about this during that first evening and was just myself, it’s what people want. I explained what I do and how I can help these business owners and also to find out what they did in their business. Everyone was so lovely and I had a great evening, I moved tables to speak to others, exchanged business cards and left that night thinking, “I’m definitely going again”. If you’re based in the Bath/Bristol area then I’d definitely recommend Spotless Networking.
Know + Like + Trust
When you get chatting to someone, I’ve learnt that it’s best to listen and to focus on their needs, their wants and their goals and aspirations and then you can explain how you might be able to help.
Don’t think you’ll rock up to a networking event and land a client the first time (okay that might happen if you’re lucky), you’ll need to make that initial connection and then it’s all about engaging and seeing them again and building up the relationship. As you build the relationship over a period of time, they are more likely to then refer or do business with you as you’ll be someone they know, like and trust.
Is networking worth it?
Hell yes, I’m still in the early days but I’ve managed to get 2 clients through networking and they wouldn’t have come had I not got myself out there. They won’t come knocking on your front door you know!
I’ve been to a few different networking events now and they all have a different feel with different content, agenda, people and some with speakers and I must say I’ve really enjoyed them all and have met a wide variety of different business owners in different industries.
If you have recently started a business and are looking to join your first networking group I can honestly say, it is so worth it. There is nothing to be nervous about, we’re all in the same boat and it’s a great way to get yourself out the house if you work from home, mix the day up a little.
The Selling Part
As mentioned above, sales is the part I struggle with the most and want to work on and I’m currently reading Alison Edgar’s Secret of Successful Sales which is brilliant. Alison’s book focuses on the four pillars of sales methodology. She explains how to identify each behavioural type and how to adapt yourself to sell to each character as well as the sales process, strategy and confidence.
I haven’t finished it yet but I’m already learning so much and can’t wait to go to my next networking event to put what I’ve learnt into practice. Working out if that person is a Red, Yellow, Green or Blue (intrigued or wondering what the hell I’m going on about? You can order a copy of Alison’s book here).
My 10 Networking Tips:
#1 – Arrive 15 minutes early – that way when there is only a small handful of people it’s easier to mingle in and you can also greet anyone else arriving after you who looks equally as lost or nervous.
#2 – Connect with event organisers on social media beforehand and build up a relationship, let them know you’re a networking beginner and they will meet and greet you to ensure you feel comfortable.
#3 – Ask the event organisers to introduce you to some people. This gets that initial awkwardness out the way.
#4 – Plan what you’re going to wear the night before. Don’t dress too dark, you want to stand out from the crowd. I’ve worn a leopard print dress to a couple of events and it’s a good conversation starter if nothing else!
#5 – Lacking confidence? If you’ve arrived and do not feel confident in approaching a group of people then head over to the promotional table, read other business cards and leaflets to get a head start on what the attendees do, it might help to strike up a conversation later on, plus someone else will probably approach the table.
#6 – Try before you buy. Most networks will let you go along as a guest up to 2 times so go try it out.
#7 – Smile and make eye contact – people gravitate to a friendly smile. If you walk in with your head down and don’t make eye contact with anyone, the chances are people won’t want to approach you.
#8 – Read a book. There are so many amazing business books out there now and any one can help you with confidence, positivity, body language, sales etc. It’s all about having the right mindset before you arrive and knowing what to expect and how to adapt.
#9 – Observing other business owners – remember to listen and to focus on their needs, their wants and their goals and aspirations and then you can explain how you might be able to help.
#10 – Business Cards – don’t go handing these out willy nilly or when you first arrive. Get chatting to people first and if you think you can help them or that they might be a useful connection then ask if they want to swap business cards. I’d also recommend getting some professional ones done. Moo do 100 for around £30 which I think is great value and they are good quality too.
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