Engage, Participate, Connect - That Is How You Network!

Learn How to Network Effectively for Maximum ROI

I love this story! Last weekend I was playing in a golf tournament to raise money for a local charity. I was playing with two of the most fun and well-connected people I know in Western North Carolina. We were set to be a three man team, when the organizer of the event approached us to ask if we would like a fourth. Always up for meeting new people, of course we said yes.

Up walks this nice young man, early thirties, big smile on his face, and he jumps in the cart with me. Off we go! I immediately introduce myself and start asking him questions. Where are you from? What do you do? How long have you been playing golf? Eventually I got around to asking what his reason was for driving up here (he was from out of town) to play in this tournament. Turns out his company is a supplier to one of the major sponsors of this event. His company would like to have more business with the organization hosting the tournament, and with other companies here and in this region. Terrific, now I understand what my new friend needs and how I can help him.  I am engaged.

We hit the first hole, and turns out this kid is a ringer. Wahoo, we need him. Before he showed up,  my girlfriend and I were just going to rely on our other teammate – he is the best golfer in our original group.  This is great, takes the pressure off of him! As we head to the second hole, our new friend’s phone vibrates, as the three of us head to the tee box, he takes a moment to answer a message. This is where the missed opportunity starts. From this point on, he is pretty much connected to his blackberry between every hole. At one point, I am riding in the cart with him, his phone rings, he takes a moment to let his friend know “he isn’t really doing anything right now, and hopes to be back home in time to go out that night.”

Now, was I insulted – no, mad – no, a little frustrated – okay I will admit to that. See I truly believe according to what our new friend understood, he thought he was networking. His boss told him to show up at this tournament, play in it, talk to a few people, and in his mind he did all that.

But boy did he miss it!  He happened by pure luck to be put on a team with three people who I would argue between us pretty much know everyone and every CEO in Western North Carolina. Especially my two teammates – well connected and well respected. If he would have put the blackberry down, engaged in conversation, truly connected with us, his results from this golf tournament would have been much different. It would have led to follow-up, connections with people he needs or wants to get to know, and an “easy in” to a territory he needs to develop but does not live or work in regularly. He missed his short-cut and easy ride to developing his business, his territory and his career.

In between his answering or working on his blackberry, I asked him lots of questions. I had a good feel for whom he needed to meet and the reasons he wanted to meet them. Two of those connections were at the golf tournament, several others were either people I knew or I knew someone who could and would easily make an introduction.

In all the time we spent together riding in the cart, playing each hole, he never asked me a question. Never really discovered what I do, what I am involved in and who I could possibly know. Never asked for my card or gave me his.

What is the point of this story and why do I love it? Because it is a great example of why so many people don’t like, don’t see the value or gain the benefit of networking. You can’t just show up.  You have to be present, get engaged, spend the time building a relationship. Ask people questions, be interested in them, and listen. Develop the foundation that will lead to the next steps.

Employers, don’t send your associates off to play in tournaments, attend events, or work trade shows without giving them the skills and setting the expectations of what you want them to accomplish while networking. Networking is expensive – there are fees to enter tournaments, costs to attending events, not to mention you are paying your employees and losing office production time.

I still believe networking has one of the highest rates of return on investment. Had our “new friend” had the skills, been given expectations, he would have walked away from this tournament with three new friends willing to help him meet the people he needs to meet, open the doors he needs to open and working along side him to help him build his business. He could have greatly decreased his cost of business development (both in time and money) and his stress in meeting his goals simply by networking at this golf tournament. Talk about a high ROI.

Now you may be asking, Meridith you knew what this guy needed why didn’t you just help him? Because networking and making connections has my brand and my reputation on it. I don’t want to open a door for someone I think may take a call in the middle of a conversation, use a blackberry all day during a golf tournament, and not understand that importance of asking open ended questions.  I can only ask my connections for so many favors, I want to make sure that when I ask I am confident they will benefit from the relationship as well!

Now go out – learn how to strategically network!

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Motivational Keynote Speaker & Business Growth Expert, Meridith Elliott Powell works with clients to help them instill ownership at every level to ensure profits at every turn. Meridith is the author of several books, including her latest, “Own It: Redefining Responsibility: Stories of Power, Freedom & Purpose”. When not keynoting and leading workshops, she looks for inspiration cycling, golfing or hiking her favorite trail.  https://www.meridithelliottpowell.com