Networking - a daily activity
I had a meeting with a business acquaintance at the Melbourne Airport this morning. This man originally made contact with me December 2005 on an off chance that my Virtual Assistant team in Australia might be able to assist his business in the UK. At that time I was only a few weeks away from travelling to the UK for the first time and I asked him where he was. The answer was London and when I told him I was flying in there the following February (2006) he offered to come with his wife and meet my husband and me and take us to lunch.
That started an email business relationship that is slowly growing over time. We have connected via LinkedIn, post about each other periodically on blogs (and here I am, doing it again) and the business we discussed this morning means we’ll be working more closely together very soon. What he has been developing since we first met has some exciting promises for my industry and for small business people in general.
You hear often about the ‘hunters and gatherers’ who collect email contacts or business cards at networking events, but then there are the ‘farmers’ too, who sow seeds, nurture, water and feed, and over time grow a harvest that is later ready for reaping.
There is value in building relationships and spending time waiting for the right time. True, you might be able to turn around some quick business bucks by grabbing cards and making follow up contact, but often it’s not till people really get an understanding of who you are and an appreciation for your experience and knowledge that longer-term benefits begin to show. So it’s important to maintain contact without making a nuisance of yourself - no hard sells, but regular contact through newsletters, occasional emails and catching up with each other whenever someone is in town. You never know what’s going on in the lives of others and maintaining contact, even if casual, can often reap a harvest at the most unexpected times.
Hi Kathie!
I started using social media networking online a few months ago. It all started for me when I read a simple sentence “Build your network BEFORE you need it” which made sense as anything worthwhile does take time.
Fortunately, I’ve already made a lot of great connections, some even potential clients, but more importantly in this time I have learnt so much about business procedures, what’s new online, my industry (VA) etc.
In that sense, it has been a very worthwhile investment professionally and personally, and I really enjoy it too!
Alex
Kathie - this is just a good point! I met one of my most important clients through a casual networking encounter, and by being on her radar, I was the first one she thought of when she was ready to start working with a VA.