The Joys Of Negative Networking Or How I Got Happy With My Business

We have all been there - we get geared up for the networking do of the month (or the week, if some of us are really popular) and we are about to jump out of the front door, and we suddenly get an attack of the negatives - in other words, our previous engagement might have hit the skids so, we dip the paint brush once more into the tar...

We wonder - what's the point? We know for a fact that there is nothing like painting a morbid picture about a networking event if the last did not go as planned. We had had a great time. We had played several parts. We had been a million different people. We had delighted in our audience and laughed in a sparkling manner, yet two weeks later -the phone didn't ring.

It takes time to click with people, and if you really don't like networking further than a two mile radius of our own front door, then it is highly unlikely you are going to bump into the same people again. Then again, it is good to see sometimes the same people - we jog memories and engage in a little light banter of "so, hows business since I last saw you..?"

Sometimes you get lucky - you meet the odd person and gel instantly. You know from the word go you're going to be in each other's lives on some level for years to come, but this rarely happens - there will be, more often than not, loads of people who you will probably not hear from again. That doesn't matter - you should never concentrate on the short lived acquaintances - only the ones who you feel you connect with instantly.

There are points, (as ever in my mutterings) which must be considered when networking - one in particular importance is that if you are one of the few who really clam up at the thought of talking to complete strangers about your business, then the best way to overcome this is to attend a seminar of such which allows you to network also - what usually happens is that you'll relax listening to someone else talking so when it comes to mingling with some coffee and a biscuit, you've got something to talk about before you launch into a sales pitch...

However, these are some of the do's and don't's which should be digested:

• DO: look smart - I don't care if you are attending a freebie in a pub on a lunchtime - these people you are likely to meet are potential clients/customers/business partners - they are also your extended sales staff as they will go off and tell everyone they know about you - you want to make a good impression, don't you? Ditch the jeans and the loafers and put on your suit - it won't kill you, even if it's you day off. (Another good trick here is to wear a suit for a more important reason - it will make your audience think you are at work/going to a business meeting straight after/going back to the office later on - the last thing they will think of is that you are out of work and desperate for a project. People want to do business with someone who everyone else is doing business with...)


• DON'T: say anything negative about either yourself or your customers - it will generally look unprofessional, and your audience will not relish the idea of one day, your slating them to someone else - say good things about yourself and your clients - the audience will like to think you will do the same for them if/when they hire you.


• DO: smile - for all the very obvious reasons.


• DON'T: turn up in a sloppy car - if there is a chance that someone/your audience will see you - it's not just you that has to look smart - everything about you must show the same good presentation.


• DO: Take along a buddy or even a past customer if they don't mind - they will be an advert - a mobile one and your audience will be suitably impressed.


• DON'T: Sound disorganised - practice your pitch, don't pause/look over their shoulder and if you feel their attention waining, ask them about their businesses - as they are speaking you can be taking stock and thinking about what to say next.

I guess that just about wraps it up on the networking front - don't forget go to as many events as you can - there are plenty of free ones out there - if you sign yourself up to Start Up Community, you will receive regular invites to all sorts of seminars and networking sessions - the more people you meet, the more your business will get round. It's always worth it - even if you don't get any business from a session, you might just pick up some good friends!