networking

How are you building your network?

I was honored to be one of the speakers on the Networking panel at Spark Networking.  The other panelists and I had compiled a list of tips, such as,

Do ask thought-provoking questions that won’t have a yes/no answer.

Do have an elevator pitch.

Do be engaging; develop relationships.

Don’t try to sell your product or service when networking.

Don’t request or provide contact information until you’ve talked to someone.

These and the other tips were meant to aide the participants at Spark in taking their networking skills to the next level. The tips varied on topic, but there was one consistent message = Networking is about having conversations that develop into connections.  Networking is about using these conversations to share the information that develops relationships.  Networking is like weaving a spiderweb of interconnected people. spiderweb2 And like a well-built spider web, that network that you are building needs to be strong and “sticky”.  It needs to branch out from it’s center – You – and continue to grow with each interaction.

When building your network, it is important to remember that the integrity of the web will only be as solid as

– the work you put into building it

– the relationships that you build to connect it

– your honesty, integrity and authenticity that give it strength and stability

My friend and business coach, JJ Reich, put it very well in his post “How Strong is your Network?”

Networking Is All About Building Trust

What most people fail to recognize is that networking is about trust more than anything else. And trust requires that people “feel” that you care about them – not just their pocketbook. They need to feel that you understand who they are and what makes them tick (at least at a cursory level).

You don’t build trust by telling people who YOU are.
Instead, you build trust by understanding who THEY are.

Effective networking not only makes a contact, it makes a connection.  It requires you to utilize your communication and your organization skills.  More importantly though, effective networking is accomplished through honest, authentic curiosity.  Take the time to learn about the other person, develop a relationship with them and build trust between you and them.   These things develop the kind of connections that can be weaved into the strong, sticky spiderweb that will “trap” and hold your business growth.


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Would I recognize you offline?

Brad Paisley puts it perfectly  “I’m so much cooler online…” (Watch the video, it’s pretty funny!)

We have all developed a “persona” that we present online.  It is a combination of our avatars, pictures, videos, words, actions, reactions, everything that we allow the public to see on their screens. But how much of that public online persona is who we really are?  If I chat with you on Twitter or some other social networking site, view pictures of you on Facebook or Flickr, read your blog, watch your videos, listen to your podcast or even just look at your avatar is the person I am interacting with online going to be the same person I would meet at a cocktail party, a business meeting or a networking function?  Will you look the same? Will you talk the same? Will your attitudes and behaviors be the same?

Would I recognize you offline?

The words “authentic”, “transparent” and “real” are bandied about with pronouncements for everyone to be these things.  But what do they mean?  When taken in their normal context the meanings are pretty self-explanatory.  When these terms relate to social media/social networking, they really are not that different.  Defining them in the online space is easier when you ask a few simple questions.

Are you “authentic”?  Is what you say and how you say it online consistent with the way you talk and the things you talk about offline?  Are your actions consistent online and offline?  Or is what you say and how you act online based on who you think your online community expects you to be, as opposed to how you think/talk/act offline?  We all want to present ourselves in the best manner possible.  Sometimes being online is like being on a very long first date.  But, just as naturally happens in a relationship, sometimes you have to let your faults show.  It is what makes us human and what maintains relationships beyond that initial attraction.   So is your online self a true reflection of your offline self?

Are you “transparent” enough – Do you share enough online that I would feel I know you if we met in real life? This does not mean that I need to know every meal you eat, every person you date, every tiny detail of your life.  It simply means that you are sharing information and engaging in conversations that exchange information that give me insights into who you are as a person and what you do.

Are you “real”? Would you treat me the same way offline that you do online – show the same interest in my well-being, in my life, in my business?  It comes back again to – Are your actions, words, behaviors consistent on and off-line?

So now that you have asked yourself these questions – Think about the answers?  If you are not sure and even if you are, ask someone that you trust who knows you both off & online.  Are you the same on & offline?  Would I recognize you offline?

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SPARK!

Gloria Bell invites you to participate in an exciting upcoming event called Spark! on June 1st from 5-9 p.m. at The Hub at Cira Centre.

Unlike any other Philadelphia entrepreneurship event ever before, Spark! offers a fun and fresh new take on networking. With interactive conversation, idea generation and solution-based workshops, attendees will have the opportunity to network with inspired entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to make connections that will help build their businesses. A variety of idea sparking activities will take place throughout the evening including:

·         Idea sharing events (Bloblive) providing the forum for entrepreneurs to voice their business idea and get live feedback from other attendees.

·         Solution-based workshops designed for interactivity and practical education

·         Free-form networking where non-traditional methods of connecting will be utilized

·         “Spark! rooms that involve interactive community projects and provide a private location to help foster new ideas right at that moment

Visit the Spark! web site for more information and to Register.

Follow SPARK on Twitter and Facebook

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SPARK is Live!

Gloria Bell invites you to participate in an exciting upcoming event called Spark! on June 1st from 5-9 p.m. at The Hub at Cira Centre.

Unlike any other Philadelphia entrepreneurship event ever before, Spark! offers a fun and fresh new take on networking. With interactive conversation, idea generation and solution-based workshops, attendees will have the opportunity to network with inspired entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to make connections that will help build their businesses. A variety of idea sparking activities will take place throughout the evening including:

·         Idea sharing events (Bloblive) providing the forum for entrepreneurs to voice their business idea and get live feedback from other attendees.

·         Solution-based workshops designed for interactivity and practical education

·         Free-form networking where non-traditional methods of connecting will be utilized

·         “Spark! rooms that involve interactive community projects and provide a private location to help foster new ideas right at that moment

Visit the Spark! web site for more information and to Register.

Follow SPARK on Twitter and Facebook

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