Building a Professional Network
Networking is perhaps more crucial than ever, as an established relationship can differentiate one coach from another thereby providing a competitive advantage. Professional networking involves building a network of contacts, colleagues, associates, suppliers and others ensuring that a pool of contacts is available to tap into when required
Professional networking requires a disciplined and planned approach. Building a professional network involves five steps.
Steps to Building a Professional Network
Step 1: Identifying Networking Goals
Effective professional networking starts with defining a set of networking goals.
Setting clear networking goals applies at two levels:
- Level 1: High level, overall strategic networking goals
- Level 2: Event or activity networking objectives
High level networking goals help to determine the type of information and the types of contacts that are required. High level networking goals help to identify potential networking events and activities.
Level 2 goals relate to the desired outcomes of attending and participating in specific network events and activities. Setting specific goals for each event attended will ensure that you are much more focussed on achieving what you set out to and reduce the likelihood of thinking ‘I’m not enjoying this so I am going to leave early’.
REFER TO YOUR ACTIVITY WORKBOOK AND SOLVE ACTIVITY 10 IN THE LJ4 SECTION.
Step 2: Identifying What and Who You Need to Know
This step involves answering two questions:
- What you need to know?
- Who do you need to know?
Once the high level networking goals have been defined, it is possible to make a list of the knowledge, skills, competence, resources and information that you believe you need to be able to acquire and access. The list can then be ranked and prioritised to enable to focus on the key areas.
Once the list has been ranked and refined, the next action involves identifying with whom it is necessary to network to access these resources.
At this stage, conducting an audit of your current professional networking is required. Use a mind map to describe your current network. Identify who can help and identify where there are gaps – the gaps in your professional network provide the basis of your professional network plan in Step 3 Preparing Your Networking Plan.
Step 3: Preparing Your Networking Plan
The next step involves planning with whom to network and how. Traditional approaches to networking involve attending seminars, meetings, events and meeting face-to-face.
The use of social networking in the form of blogs, forums, Facebook and LinkedIn enables networking opportunities on an international basis and at minimal cost.
The two approaches are not alternatives, but complimentary. Most professional networking plans will involve the use of both methods. The use of LinkedIn and online forums operated by professional bodies and other organisations can provide access to a vast network of contacts and resources.
The choice of which networking methods and which networks to join should be informed by personal preference and link directly to the networking goals. It is very easy, especially with social media to join too many groups and to lose sight of the purpose of networking.
Professional networking should be focused and a deliberate choice: if a network activity or group is not fulfilling one of the networking goals, consider deleting it from the networking plan. Similarly, if a networking goal has been fulfilled and there is no longer a reason to devote the level of time and resource to a particular networking activity, consider replacing it with something else. Networking should always be evaluated in terms of the added value that can be derived from it.
Step 4: Undertaking Networking Activities
When taking part in networking activities, refer back to the high level goals established in step 1 to ensure you are focused and understand why you are taking part. It is also essential that you take time out to consider the level two networking objectives.
Ask the question: What do I want to achieve by the end of this seminar, event, and discussion?
Getting the most out of networking involves knowing your objectives and making sure you meet and speak to the right people, ask the right questions and provide the right information. Always remember the law of reciprocity.
The law of reciprocity can basically be summed up by stating the golden rule: do unto others as you would have others do unto you. However it goes one step further than this. The law states that whatever you do will be returned back to you. In other words, if you want to create success for yourself, help someone else become successful.
John F Kennedy once said: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what can you do for your country?”
One of the secrets of effective networking is to help others as they will remember you and tell people about you. By helping them, they include you as part of their own professional network.
Professional networking is as much about building your own personal brand as it is meeting key people and learning things.
Effective High Growth Enterprise Coaches are also effective professional networkers. They network with purpose and manage their time effectively and plan to meet the right people – the people who can help them at some point in the future.
Following a networking activity, effective networkers take the time to honour commitments and promises. Professional and effective networkers do not say at the network event, “I will send you a copy of that report” or “I will introduce you to Robert Powers” and then forget or not bother. Imagine the negative impact on your personal brand and what it says about your integrity and other values if you do not follow through on promises.
Another key part of networking is organisation. Too many people collect business cards at networking events and cannot remember to whom they belong. The temptation is to think, I will remember and dealt with this later, but often later never comes. A simple tip is to write something on the business card to help you to remember who the person was, where you met them and what action if any, you need to take afterwards.
Take time out immediately after the event to action the commitment and to manage your new contacts.
Whether it is a simple spreadsheet, a card index box, a Rolodex system or a customer relationship management (CRM) system, enter the person’s contact details including where you met them, the nature of the conversation and any commitment and actions you agreed with them.
There is little point in making contacts if there is no way of retrieving their details and keeping in touch with them.
Step 5: Reviewing and Updating Networking Goals
Networking goals need to be reviewed and updated just as any other plan. If the need has been addressed then it is time to move on, but if it remains, maybe some other form of networking activity is required.
Time to Reflect
How much time and money have you invested in networking in the past six months?
What benefits and opportunities have you derived from your professional networking activities? If you had to calculate a return on investment (ROI) would it be a positive return or a negative return?
Either way, what action will you take to improve the effectiveness of your professional networking from today?
Top Tip:“I always plan my networking needs when updating my CPD Plan as it saves time and often the two plans go hand in hand.” John Moore, Managing Director
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