Networking Strategy - do you really have one?

OK, real honesty required here please (or what's the point).

Have you developed a Networking Strategy?

Don't just say yes because you 'know what you're doing when it comes to networking' or even because 'networking works for me so I guess I must have one'.

Do you honestly have a defined networking strategy that you've consciously developed? (If so feel free to share yours and how it has worked for you)

The point of this is thread is that I believe one of the fundamental reasons people try various networking groups (not just 4N) and then declare after X months that it hasn't worked and move on to another networking group or give up, is that they haven't understood that simply turning up to events isn't enough.

If that's all you're doing and it works for you great, you're very lucky. But successful networkers invest a lot more thought and effort and if you're going to do that then take time to plan a strategy:

Define your target market.

if you don't have a clear idea of who you want to reach, you've little chance of developing an effective strategy to reach them.

Determine how any given networking group will allow you to reach that audience. 

Will you meet them at events, will you meet them online or will you need to network 'through the room' in order to reach them? If the latter and you are relying on recommendations/introductions from fellow networkers, who will make them and why?

Provide your potential introducers of business with reasons to get off their backsides and make the introductions you need.

There is only one basic reason anyone will introduce potential business to you.

There has to be something in it for them. NONSENSE! I hear you cry. But it isn't.. Here are the reasons people will make that introduction.

They like you and they just want to help. What''s in it for them? It makes them feel good. i know it makes me feel good when I help out a fellow networker.  You can't rely on everyone feeling this way and those that don't won't be motivated to introduce for this reason. That aside a prerequisite to get leads for this reason is that they probably have to like you (or at least not dislike you).

They believe that if they refer people to you what goes around comes around and they will reap the rewards. That's what's in it for them.

There's a more immediate and tangible reward for introducing business. They are a strategic partner, capable of regularly introducing business, because they are in a similar field or share a common target audience and you've financially incentivised them to make introductions.

The person they are introducing is family, friend or someone they care about sufficiently to want to help and the benefit to them in making the intro is helping someone they want to help.

No one will ever introduce someone to you for NO REASON. To create an effective networking strategy, you must give people the reasons thay need. So if you've never created a networking strategy, sit down and do so applying the above. Even if your already successful without a coherent strategy, you could perhaps be ore successful with one.

Hopefully this will be of some help to those of you who are new to networking or just not getting quite as much out of it as you'd like.

I never just turn up to a networking event without some kind of agenda.

My agendas have been:
When I first joined 4N: Meet new people/ businesses and expand my contacts and learn about business in general by talking with them about their processes.

Lately: Speak with people in industries that I've never really spoken with and learn how they are using social media with a view to learning what tricks and tools they could be missing out on.

Simply turning up is a waste of time. Simply turning up to sell is a waste of time.

In the past I've been guilty of 'just turning up' but at the other end of the scale are people who look so highly organised and 'salesy' with an obvious agenda that it's a massive turn off to be honest.

I go networking to

1. Get to know people so they can get to know me and what I do. And to keep myself in their minds for when they need help

2. Listen. To find out what businesses are doing and what they need so I can adapt my products & services.

My networking strategy was developed after spending time with fellow 4Ner Colin McKeand.  Before I was just networking because everyone said you had to in business these days.  Now my aim is to get my name out there as working for myself, to develop contacts that can help me and to be able to pass on helpful tips and hints that can help other business owners implement to make a small change. 

The networking strategy, like all strategies, needs to be reviewed and tweaked as our businesses progress over the months and years.

Definitely have a strategy.

At first it was just to go along to shut JamesBrotherJam up from nagging, then I realised it was quite a lot of fun and we could get quite a lot of business.

Main strategy I had - no matter how social I made it, the main reason I was at events was to get clients, and to learn from others.

400 clients later, I think it worked !

^^THIS !

It's a yes but as I am newish to 4N, I am changing, the way I network and it seems to be working.

Couple of interesting comments equating being organised to 'salesy'. I don't think these are inseperable.

Too many people bandy 'selling' around as a dirty word. We're all selling to some extent when we're networking, at the very least you are selling yourself. What matters is how you do it and overt, pushy sales is not the way to succeed, certainly not in a 4N environment.

I have often thought if all are at the meeting are there to sell to the room, who is doing the buying!!. Dan I agree with all your points.  The other point is the understanding the value of investment return in some business service. There is the time  element to know like and trust before the buy. 

For me it is nothing more than going to sell myself. Yes if business comes from it, it would be nice also. But you have to sell yourself first before people will want your prodcut or services.

Need some more votes yes or no please