It's not who you are, it's who you know.
Any number of variants of this statement get tossed around in business conversation, but all of them boil down to one key point: You may be the most talented person on the
payroll, but if you don't step out from behind your computer screen, you will go nowhere fast. When promotion time rolls around, the powers that be are looking to elevate the
rainmakers, the movers, the shakers, the corporate consultants - basically, the person who is most capable of bringing in new business, of recruiting top talent or, when the time
comes, of picking up the phone and calling in a favor with big bottomline implications.
This skill of building and maintaining a personal network couldn't be of greater importance to communicators, who thrive on connectivity and exist to foster relationships. It
involves strategic thinking, a strong dose of brazenness and a firm handshake - and that's only the beginning. Whether shyness, busyness or just plain laziness is your cross to
bear, shrug your shoulders and listen up: Expanding your Rolodex just got easier.
Get To Know Yourself Before Getting To Know Others
There is no off-the-shelf approach to developing a network of professional contacts; rather, each individual has unique goals and characteristics, and their approach must be
tailored accordingly. Consider Hill & Knowlton Senior Counselor Tom Hoog's theory of connectivity:
"You will be most successful marketing your capabilities to contacts you like on issues that are of great interest to you."
Based on this theory, then, the first step in networking is identifying those things that are of greatest interest to you and then targeting the influential people who fit your
profile. To accomplish this, Hoog suggests looking over the past year and dividing your work into three categories: I love this; it's OK, I can tolerate it; and I wish I could
get rid of this junk. If you are being honest with yourself, you likely have a number responsibilities, assignments, clients, fill-in-the-blank in the throw-away pile.
"The missing element in most professionals' lives is the most important one," Hoog says. "They don't have fun and interesting work." He goes on to say that targeting
potential clients and contacts that you personally find interesting is essential; then, he says, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What do I most want to do now?
2. What do I want to be doing in three years?
3. What kind of clients do I want to be working for in three years?
4. At what level do I want to be working with those clients?
The answers will guide you on how to begin to develop your network.
Never Eat Alone
The easiest way to avoid constant networking is to blame the clock: "There aren't enough hours in the day," or "I have billable time to consider." It's the oldest excuse in
the book, and your CEO won't buy it.
"What you do with your billable time determines your current income," Hoog says. "What you do with your non-billable time determines your future."
It's an omnipotent statement, but take a moment to think about it. How many non-billable hours a day do you whittle away just surfing the Internet? Keep track of it for a
week, and the answer will astonish you. Then tack on the time spent eating breakfast and lunch at your desk, and you're well on your way to one full night of rest - or, most
importantly, to a solid chunk of time that could be spent building your network.
With this in mind, Hoog urges communicators to ask themselves this question: How much of your non-billable time is spent on activities that were planned and scheduled with a
concrete purpose in mind? Non-billable time should be investment time in which you:
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Earn referrals;
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Gather market intelligence;
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Generate awareness of capabilities;
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Develop new capabilities; and,
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Have a systematic way of building a pipeline and expanding contacts.
That's a daunting laundry list of chores, but Hoog offers these simple ways of identifying new people worth knowing, reaching out to them and keeping in touch in meaningful
ways:
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Use the calendar creatively: Sending holiday cards is a lovely gesture, but building your network goes far beyond this. Watch the calendar for upcoming events
in which influential contacts-to-be will be in your area, then send them a personal invitation to meet up.
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Take advantage of mealtimes: Hoog refers to the best-selling book Never Eat Alone (Currency, 2005), in which author Keith Ferrazzi offers tips for
relationship-building - namely ... well, never eating alone. When he was the CEO of Hill & Knowlton, Hoog says the most disappointing (and annoying) thing was to see a senior
executive eating lunch at his desk alone. Meals are perfect non-billable hours that can be spent building and maintaining your contact list.
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Observe organizational and personal changes: When someone switches jobs, drop him a congratulatory e-mail. A new baby? Flowers with a personal note won't be
forgotten. Staying on top of people's personal and professional lives by keeping your ear to the ground will enhance every relationship you have.
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Clip and ship: Every (good) business professional reads the news voraciously. Take this daily task one step further and, when you see a story that would be of
interest to a professional contact, cut it out and mail it to him/her with a short note. But Hoog issues this caveat: Don't e-mail a link to the story - paper copies via snail
mail only. Why? Most senior executives have a secretary who vets their inboxes, and an e-mailed news story most likely won't make the cut.
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Use layovers as a reason to call: Stuck in an airport? Instead of attempting the impossible - a nap in an airport seat - use the time to scroll through your
contact list and call a few people with whom you haven't spoken recently. It's time well spent.
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Keep others informed: If you are changing jobs/relocating/expecting a child, let others know. Sending news through the grapevine - and receiving it - keeps you
on other executives' radars.
These tips guide employees and executives in managing their time to make room for networking, but what about the CEO? This post also has the responsibility to encourage, if
not require, employees of varying levels to spent a certain amount of time networking. When Hoog was CEO of Hill & Knowlton, he says he expected the following breakdown in
terms of billable/non-billable hours (approximation):
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Junior staffers: Junior staffers are usually at the beginning of their careers, and their responsibilities are more geared to executing the tactical aspects of
the business. For this group, approximately 90% of their time should be billable.
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Middle managers: These employees are most likely in their late 20s and 30s, so building a professional network should take on more importance. CEOs should urge
this group to have an 80/20 billable/non-billable ratio.
- Senior executives: At this point, networking is essential, both personally and professionally. These execs should focus on bringing in new business more than
handling basic projects; as a CEO, consider requiring an estimated 60/40 billable/non-billable breakdown.
The Harsh Reality
The above tips are quick, easy ways to build a network of professional contacts and keep in touch in meaningful ways. But if the simplicity isn't enough of a reason for you to
step out of your computer's shadow, consider this: David Maister, author and consultant for the management of professional services firms, says all business professionals fall
into one of the following categories:
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Losers: Those who don't meet basic standards
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Cruisers: Those who live off existing skills and contacts
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Dynamos: Those who work hard to constantly improve and learn more
With a quick glance at these three categories, most executives will state confidently that they are dynamos. If the only person you have to answer to at the end of the day is
your ego, then you don't have much to worry about. But, for the rest of us, brace yourself: Hoog says that if you aren't adding hundreds - yes, hundreds - of contacts to your
collection every year, you are a cruiser, plain and simple.
Imagine, then, what it takes to qualify as a loser.
CONTACTS:
Tom Hoog, [email protected]; David Maister, [email protected]
Take A Networking Cue From An Old Pro
You think you have it tough with the number of contacts you have to manage, let alone remember, on a day-to-day basis? Try being a former president - of the United
States, that is. Bill Clinton is famous for his personable demeanor and his knack for remembering everyone he meets. Judging from his storied political career, his networking
skill served him well, and it is something he continues to groom today.
Case in point: Tom Hoog, former CEO of Hill & Knowlton, had dinner with Clinton, and the President was quick to ask how Hoog's grandchildren were doing - by name.
How is a man with thousands and thousands of names to remember manage to recall those of a business contact's grandkids? Easy: He takes good notes. (Being a Mensa member
doesn't hurt either.)
At the end of every day, Clinton writes the name of each new contact he makes on a 3-by-5 index card, along with a few professional and personal details. Thanks to a very
efficient filing system, he can refer back to the card prior to taking a call or a meeting with any given person, jogging his memory on key details that, when brought up in
conversation, will leave a lasting impression.