If there were an award for attending the most networking events in one year, Pat Ewert would definitely be a contender.
In 2002, when Ewert was in charge of business development for Tandem Professional Employer Solutions, she attended more than 300 networking events–and credits those efforts for increasing the company’s sales by more than 50 percent.
“A typical week included breakfast events, a few lunch events, and then one or two events every evening,” explained Ewert, who acknowledged that the idea of attending so many events would seem draining to most people.
Ewert said it energizes her while she concurrently builds brand awareness and generates business leads.
Ewert is one example of how networking has become an aggressive, sophisticated, strategic way to build business–competing with, and in some businesses replacing, more traditional methods of cold-calling, advertising and direct marketing.
“My target audience is VPs, directors and C-level executives, and they get so many phone calls that they can’t return them all,” said Vicky Podany, senior account executive at Downers Grove-based TransTech LLC. “However, when I can leave a message saying someone they know suggested I call, the prospect usually calls me back.”
As a result, Podany said all of her new business is coming from networking and the resulting referral.
Recently the chief operating officer of her company told her she had done so well with networking that she should rely on it as her primary marketing initiative.
Gail Zelitzky and Carolyn Reiner also are big proponents of networking as a way to build business. Both in their 60s, they decided to start their business consulting firm, Silver-Robins Consulting, after retiring from other professions. Zelitzky had been an entrepreneur for more than 25 years, and Reiner had spent 15 years as a coach and facilitator for area banking systems.
Their business plan specified networking as the key marketing activity, because they believed it would be most effective way to reach small businesses.
In the first year, that strategy has helped Silver-Robins exceed its business projections, Zelitzky said.
“We take a strategic approach to networking,” said Reiner, adding that it involves active membership in groups, not just attending meetings.
“We both participate on committees and often volunteer to be part of the programming,” she said.
The pair never goes to an event empty-handed, often bringing items like bookmarks with business-building tips and business cards.
And as they collect other people’s business cards, they take notes on the back, indicating the event and what they discussed. Once back in their office, they send follow-up notes.
With the increased interest in networking as a legitimate and viable business tool, there are now experts who counsel, coach and teach businesses how to succeed in networking.
For example, Lillian Bjorseth, author of “Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last” said most people fail at networking because they don’t really understand what it is.
“Networking is not a personal platform for you to tell people how wonderful you are,” said Bjorseth. “It’s a dynamic process that links people into mutually beneficial relationships.”
Bjorseth, who also founded the speaking, training and consulting firm Duoforce Enterprises, says people should network for four key reasons: advice, information, recommendations/referrals and support.
“A master networker is some one who does it strategically. That includes having a plan and analyzing events to make sure the people attending can increase your business,” she said.
The right network
Today, there are businesses that have been created solely to provide other businesses with a platform to network. Among them are lead groups, which are organizations of 10 to 20 individuals of various professions and occupations who get together on a regular, sometimes weekly, basis to exchange business leads, provide support and advice. Members pay a fee.
There are also speed-networking events–similar to the concept of speed dating–where participants pay a one-time fee to attend an event and have a few minutes to give their speech and link up with potential leads.
One of Chicago’s newer networking organizations is the Chicagoland chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. The chapter was started by Melinda Sigal two years ago.
The network now has about 100 members. Sigal holds monthly meetings that include a guest speaker and an opportunity for members to network. Members pay an annual fee and a fee for each meeting they attend.
Sharing online
Chicago’s largest networking organization is ChicWIT–a free online discussion network with more than 6,000 members who share information on everything from job opportunities to recipes and recommendations for dentists.
Its founder, Liz Ryan, wasn’t intending to start a business when she created the discussion network in 1999. At the time, she had been consulting for a couple of years. One day she looked at the stack of business cards she had accumulated and realized that the stack wasn’t doing anyone any good.
“Smart women should know each other,” said Ryan, who today heads up WorldWIT, a 30,000-member online discussion network. “In our network, you can put out a question to 30,000 people and in most cases, you will get an answer.”
While there are no lack of opportunities for networking in Chicago, there are a significant number of people who avoid it because the idea of giving a brief talk to complete strangers is as pleasant a thought as diving into a pool without water. In addition to the hundreds of books people can read to become master networkers, consultant Gail Sussman Miller conducts regular workshops called “How to Love Networking.”
“People come to the workshop hoping that we will teach them just the right words to say,” Miller explained. “Many of the people describe themselves as introverts who feel they can’t compete with the extroverts who seem to network so effortlessly.”
Miller says one of the tools she uses to help introverts become more comfortable is to have them rename the activity.
“I have them think about something they enjoy. It can be reading, skiing, it really doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “The key is to help them associate the skills they have already mastered in that activity with the same skills necessary to succeed in networking. Once they realize they have the skills, it makes it easier for them to attend networking events.”
It’s easy to make mistakes when it comes to networking.
Bjorseth said one of the biggest mistakes is joining the wrong organizations or staying in organizations when they no longer provide the value they used to. “Sometimes you need to add new ones to your repertoire and recognizes when you’ve outgrown an organization,” she said.
Earlier this year, a division of Robert Half International conducted a survey to determine the most common networking mistakes.
The most common misstep, according to the survey, is not asking people for help. Second is not keeping in touch with contacts, and third is not thanking people for help.
Being successful at networking often involves being genuinely interested in listening, learning and understanding what the other people in network do, and being generous in helping them build their business before expecting them to help you build yours.
