Networking Is Like Planting Seeds
by max ~ February 16th, 2009. Filed under: Business, Success.
Networking is like planting seeds. But the goal is foliage not a seed. Planting is easy. Consistently watering is hard.
There are many successful ways to network. But most successful systems usually consist of 1) building off your existing network and 2) exposure to high degrees of randomness to add new people to your network.
The end goal of networking is strong two way relationships that are mutually beneficial for both people. Ideally traversing both personal and work topics.
There are number of ways to increase your exposure to randomness. In this post I’ll look at the topic of effectively networking at events.
Plant The Seeds
When I go out to an event the main goal is to plant as many seeds as possible. Think of it like speed dating, you’re trying to meet people you like and set up as many dates as possible. Get to the point where you both agree you’d like to stay in touch and exchange business cards. Connection happens at a different venue. But before moving on if you have rapport with the person, it is a good idea to ask them if there’s anyone there who they think would be good for you to meet. Take advantage of the high concentration of people all in the same room at the same time. Try to introduce to them to someone as well. The more you give the more you receive. Great, you’ve got a large stack of business cards, but don’t celebrate yet, that was the easy part. Remember, the end goal is strong connections. Don’t be the guy who just knows a lot of people and doesn’t actually do anything. This strategy will be most effective for good people, doing good work and could benefit from a stronger network.
Water The Saplings
When you get home if you’re not too exhausted shoot off quick e-mails to the top three people. The speed of your follow through will separate you from the all the other people they gave their business cards to. Develop a boilerplate email to speed up the process but also make sure to personalize all your emails. You’ll get a much a higher response rate. If you can come up a with small request to ask of someone that can increase response rate as well. The psychology behind the ‘small ask’ is very solid. If someone goes out of their way to help you often they will unconsciously rationalize that they must like you.
Bask In Sunlight
In the ensuing 24 hours send an email to everyone you’d like to stay in touch with and add them on facebook and twitter. Pull them into your sphere of ambient awareness and show over time that your someone worth knowing. (This tip is worthless if you don’t use twitter and facebook effectively). Be persistent with people you’d really like to continue a connection with. Acknowledge that they’re busy but be adamant about keeping in touch.
After an exchange or two attempt to set up a time to meetup face to face for a more involved extended discussion. This is where the real game begins.
Cut The Weeds -> Make Room For Roses
Eventually you’ll need to start being selective about who you meet face to face with. If you’ve done a good job planting seeds there will be more people worth meeting face to face than you have time for. Take care to select the people you’d like to get to know the best. The reason you can’t meet face to face with everybody who is interesting, is because in the larger scheme of things the end goal is creative contribution, and networking is just one tool to be optimized to that end.
Grow A Garden
Always keep your eye on the big picture. This post is about optimizing networking. But the overall goal is to optimize life.
A lot of people get to the point where they don’t even need to go to events to network anymore. After cultivating enough deep connections a self sustaining flourishing garden will develop. I’d like to get to that point someday but for now consistently meeting new people at events is essential for getting where I want to be.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Too bad none of your networking will win you friends or influence.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
do you happen to know the location of the photo at the end of the post? it’s beautiful!
February 18th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Yea I didn’t take the photo but I think it was here – http://www.butchartgardens.com/
February 21st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Max, I’m sort of confused about the purpose of your blog. The thing is, your writing style is often one of giving advice and telling everyone how something is done. But, you are talking about networking here… someone who has been in business for 30 years- and has been successful- is someone with advice worth hearing on how to successfully network. An 18 year old high school student who has been to a TED conference is not an expert.
I mean I’m sure you are ahead of the game as most 18 year old high school kids dont know anything about networking and you know something, which is admirable, but who are you talking to with these posts? Who are you giving knowledge or advice to? Or is this just a place for you to collect thoughts with no particular intention, and if that’s the case, why do you do that with this style on a public forum? I think your friends would probably benefit from your advice if they have no experience in this but I’m not sure what the reason is for making a long how-to blog post about a subject you dont know much about.
A different approach might be sharing your personal experiences, rather than telling people how something is done. Take twitter, for example. Twitter and Facebook is a product of our generation, and most people over the age of 25 are not proficient in twitter and facebook, certainly not as a primary method of communication. You have been interacting with a largely young and very technological oriented blogging community, so using twitter/facebook has been beneficial to you, but that doesnt mean its broadly applicable advice. Even if it was, you would have no idea seeing as you dont have any experience outside of that community, and very little experience even just with them. And so, I think a blog about your experiences as a way of sparking a discussion about a topic I think would be a better way of having a productive conversation as opposed to the style you are currently employing.
February 21st, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I might also note to remember your tagline at the top of your blog there, “Student of Life”. However corny that phrase may be, it seems pretty accurate for you now since you do love to gather information about a broad range of subjects. But remember, you are still a student, not a teacher, and I think you would do well to remember that.
The switch from student to teacher happens when people are willing to learn from you, or someone is willing to employ your knowledge to teach others. If neither of those are the case… you can’t just get up and say you are a teacher, no matter how loud or often you say that it wont get you anywhere. You might spark better discussions as a student instead of acting as the teacher.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Ohh sick burn. No but seriously, JHorwitz you’ve just described whats wrong with blogs, no fact checking, no accountability and no editor.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Hah, good point. I dont read blogs generally and I wouldnt be surprised if Max’s style is just taken from the style of the community at large. Certainly the internet is the premier forum for everyone with an opinion to shout it at everyone else and I can see where being constantly exposed to that style of conversation can unconsciously change the way someone communicates.
But you gotta break that habit before you go to college max, you can’t write papers or enter discussions using the internet logic that you know something just because you think it’s the case, regardless of facts or experience- hell, you can’t use that kind of logic ANYWHERE outside of the internet! (except politics, of course, where “its true because I say so” apparently applies)
I think PeerReview’s point that blogging has no accountability is a good one, and that situation tends to breeds bad habits you should be aware of. This is why I’m trying to hold you accountable, Max
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 pm
His transparency is commendable though, which is more than I can say for myself. Haha, it is just I would never want my name tied to being an utter jackass on the internet, something I guess Max doesn’t have a problem with.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:20 am
[...] The best connections are real connections. If you wouldn’t want to sit down and have dinner with this person, don’t bother to take their business card. If you don’t feel a connection, thank them kindly for chatting with you and move along. [...]
June 4th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Max, we met at the O’Reilly Emerging Tech Conference and I am just now getting around to checking out your blog. I had some suggestions on this paragraph:
“When you get home if you’re not too exhausted shoot off quick e-mails to the top three people. The speed of your follow through will separate you from the all the other people they gave their business cards to. Develop a boilerplate email to speed up the process but also make sure to personalize all your emails. You’ll get a much a higher response rate. If you can come up a with small request to ask of someone that can increase response rate as well.”
I agree that follow up is important but I think you are better served to consider who else you can introduce the person to that is relevant to their journey/vector and to provide pointers to relevant information. I think it’s better to be helpful initially instead of asking for help unless it’s to follow through on an offer that they made to you verbally as you were getting acquainted.
I have been heavily influenced by “Rainmaking” by Ford Harding and “6 degrees of Lois Weisberg” by Malcolm Gladwell http://www.gladwell.com/1999/1999_01_11_a_weisberg.htm They are two good sources of information on networking.
There are two measures of social capital: centrality or closure, which is the extent to which you are at the core of a large network, and brokerage, which is your ability to span “structural holes” in a network or otherwise disparate people who might never meet. Ronald Burt has written a lot on structural holes and brokerage that is worth reading.
It seems to me you are focused on closer or being at the center of a large network. I think there is much less competition–and much more value–in being a broker: someone who spans a variety of disparate networks and can connect folks who might otherwise never meet or collaborate. I leave you with three thoughts that I elaborate on in http://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2009/02/18/three-things-ive-learned-about-networking/
1. Good questions sell.
2. Listening sells.
3. Networking is helping other people: carry more than your own card and connect folks who will benefit from talking to each other.
June 5th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Thanks Sean I remember our conversation — On reflection, I think many of my points in this article have to do with the early stages of networking. As one is starting to meet many more people and grow a network where they previously had a very small one. In that case it is very difficult to be a broker. But I understand your points and find myself drifting more in that direction of late.
I’ve read the Gladwell article but not article titled Rainmaking. I enjoyed the Gladwell article and found it very provocative. I will check out yours.