What's the net worth of your network? (Saturated Market)

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What's the net worth of your network?

Strategy Let's talk about Jim. Jim's been looking for a job for some time now. And he's been hearing all this talk about "networking". It's not what you know, it's who you know. Friends in high places. And all those other clichés. So he decides to give it a try. He asks his friends and his family to keep an eye out for people who could help him, and starts talking to people he knows through them.

Jim doesn't get a job.

Now, what about Trevor? He's also out on the hunt, and keeps getting told to network, network, network! So he does. He goes to parties, he goes to networking events, tradeshows; anything he can! He hands out business cards and collects them in return. Entire forests have disappeared to fuel his search. After a few weeks, you'd be hard to find anybody in the county who doesn't have his card.

Trevor's in line at the Employment Resource Centre with Jim.

Finally, there's Harry. Harry is in the same boat as Jim and Trevor. So he starts talking to people he knows who aren't in his immediate circle of friends. He attends parties and events, but only hands out a few cards and collects a few in return.

Harry gets a job.

So what happened? Harry seemed to do so much less than Jim and Trevor. And numerically, he did. But where Harry got it right was in the VALUE of his network.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that networking is just a matter of asking anyone around, and contacting as many people as possible. So they end up with a veritable leaf-pile of business cards and an address book the size of the yellow pages, but they don't mean anything.

Asking friends and family is an alright way to start, but the problem is that you're going to make connections inside a network you already have. Chances are the people your close friends and immediate family know are people you know already too.

Trying to collect massive amounts of contacts sounds tempting, but it's akin to advertising these days: too much noise, not enough value and interest. If you meet someone, introduce yourself, give them your card and move on, they've forgotten who you are 10 seconds later. And if they DO remember you, it will be as someone who wasn't interested in them enough to stick around.

The fact of the matter is, you want to build a meaningful network. When you meet somebody new, stick around and talk to them. Try to key into their values and interests. Listen closely to what they say, and try to pick up on something. Once you can demonstrate your interest in that one thing, it shows them that you were not only paying attention to what they're saying (which is a BIG plus), it tells them that there's a connection there. And when you talk to them later, remember to leverage that connection, bring it into the conversation again. Keep repeating this step. You want to get to know that person so they can get to know you. If somebody in a position to help you remembers who you are and sees you as somebody with whom there is common ground, you are far more likely to be first in their mind when your dream opportunity lands at their doorstep.

Remember, be a Harry, not a Jim or Trevor.

Until next time,