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Internal networking to drive cross-selling?

Networking. The word conjures a whiff of cheap wine, the tackiness on your fingers from the back of the name stickers, the low-level anxiety of trying to insert a ‘should we connect?’ with someone whose posts you might sling a like to for the next couple of months. But for some reason, in that melee of associations, we don’t think of internal networking.?

We need to broaden our networking horizons by bringing networking back inside. This may sound like a contradiction – but trust us. One of the most common business imperatives our clients come to us with is ‘how can we increase cross-selling?’. The answer is a strong internal network comprising of teams who understand the wider organisational system. And how do we build networks? Communication and connection.?

When we talk about internal networks, we’re talking about building relationships between people across teams, across departments, across markets. Through these relationships, people gain detailed knowledge of the organisation’s offering and build trust that their colleagues can deliver a brilliant service in this new area and put equal care into that client relationship.??

Internal communications can be a powerful tool for building a robust internal network with the capability to effectively cross sell. Here are some ideas to get started:?

1. Matchmake your superstars: Recognition schemes are great for amplifying success stories, but what if you went one step further? Shout the two superstars a coffee (if hybrid, a Pret voucher) and set up a 15 minute meeting in which they can get to know each other and simply chat. These informal relationships are crucial for bypassing formality hold-ups and deepen understanding of other teams.??
2. Focus groups are more than research: If you’re undertaking research for a value proposition, running steering groups, or want to road test an idea, get disparate people in the same room to share ideas and hash it out. Through these conversations people learn about each other’s remit and pain points, growing empathy across departments and silos.??
3. Hybrid life has made digital networking easier: Networking does not necessitate a handshake – or vice versa. We can build strong, personal relationships online. A Teams call can do the job! But what’s important is that the call isn’t ‘all business’. Time should be set aside for chatting, getting to know each other, learning from each other, so we can really get to know the person on the other-side of the screen rather than simply experiencing a verbal manifestation of an agenda.?
4. Reverse mentoring: This isn’t a new idea, but it is a powerful way to build strong networks. Pairing up junior colleagues with leaders doesn’t just bring fresh ideas to a high level, it can strengthen the bench for future management by engaging more junior colleagues and reconnect different strata within the system.?
5. Keep it social: Not everyone is keen on a post-work game of football, and the old way of ‘pub?’ is no longer a viable social glue. Bring people together through niche networks, through learning opportunities, maybe CSR days aren’t about team building but about inter-team connections.??
6. Keep up to date: The potential for this will differ depending on company size and context, but if you can, keep people up to date with new-comers and leavers on a centralised platform so the system remains visible.??

The more opportunities we take to integrate interaction and engagement beyond the immediate team and day-to-day activities, the stronger the internal network. It will also smooth out the machinations of the system as colleagues are comfortable contacting each other without being held up by either standing on ceremony or not prioritising a faceless contact. With strong connections across teams built on mutual trust in capability and an understanding of capacity and remit, cross-selling will become a natural extension of a client or stakeholder relationship.