The future of business networking?
This blog is 100% an opinion piece and is based on limited information that is not verified. I intend to explore some thoughts on business networking and where is it heading. I equally would love your thoughts even if you think I am talking rubbish, serious tell me why as I really do want to explore this and I do not have the answers.
So firstly, I run a local networking group (ABC Networks) in my home town and really enjoy it. Sure numbers could be better but having a small group can create intimacy and gives us a chance to actually get to know each other.
But let's be honest people do not go to networking breakfast meetings for the chit chat. I have 2 trails of thought that are conflicting, let me explain. I personally believe that networking is not about you and it's not just about the people in the room. Â Again personal opinion but I believe that its about creating lasting relationships and giving value to as many people as you can. Sure maybe there is nobody in the room that is a good fit for your product or service. But lets think for a second, how many people are you connected too in your network? Let's say on average each person is connected to 250 people right? Now looking at the people in the room they are all connected to 250 people on average too right? Now if you work the relationships and get to know them build the "know, like and trust" and even more important add value to them in whatever way you can. The people in the room are going to have nothing but positive things to say about you to their connections and if they do know somebody who is a good fit for you then will recommend you.
You know all this right, its networking 101!
But what happens in reality is this, people go to networking events when they need new business, they hunt the room slinging business cards around like ninja's and pitching to everyone. Often only talking about their product or their service and trying to convince you that you need it. They might do this for a few weeks, they may even pick up a few clients. Or the get no business. Either way they stop attending either because they now have business or because they don't and "networking does not work".
The truth is that we all do want of course to find new clients and good ones and being committed to a networking group is great when you have a good size groups and new people attending regularly. But what happens when the numbers dwindle? Do you keep going to see the same 8 or 9 faces? Do you keep going when you just done seem to be getting any new leads?
Sometimes in the smaller groups, magic can happen, but its hard to get new people to come when the numbers are so small.
There are of course lots of things you can do to increase numbers and following a system and sticking with it will bring results.
Lets take a look at networking as a whole and where it fits in today's digital economy. Breakfast meeting start at 7am in my group and earlier in BNI chapters, lunchtime meetups take too long and evening meetings can be fun but we all often have commitments so attending regularly is not always easy.
People are always telling me that cannot attend because of meetings and client visits and all kinds of reasons that mean they cannot be away from their desk. There are others with child care commitments and half terms and school holidays make attending difficult.
Could technology offer an alternative option? What if we could all jump on a video conference call, and share stories and do our 1 minute pitches, share files and email addresses. You could all see each other and complete the meeting in far less time and from the comfort of your home and even using your mobile phone or tablet.
Is it the same no of course not, is it for everybody again no way. But would it fill a gap? Would it appeal to those who are tech savvy and time poor? Would it solve the issues of people turning up and not building lasting relationships and only pitching? No they would still be there. But i wonder if it would add another dimension to networking, something new and a bit different, not to replace traditional networking but to support it?
Am I nuts? maybe? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts?
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Author- Speaker - Consultant. Passionate about all things digital.