Cultivate your Network – Grow better business
Posted on | October 5, 2009 | No Comments
This article was written for Fresh Business Thinking back in March 2009. Recent events brought it back to mind and I thought it would be worth adding here.
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During an interview for another article this week, it became clear to me that gardening is a good metaphor for networking and that they are governed by some of the same natural laws. In my view, it is worthwhile paying some attention to them. I’d be interested in your own additions to this list
Starting Out
Getting the measure of a new networking group is like taking over a garden. You need to spend some time working out what is already in place, which parts are worth spending time on and which can be safely left to their own devices. Too often, people join networks and feel that they have to be listened to without realising that being listened to is what others there also need. If you aren’t listening to others, more than you are talking to begin with, you are missing vital information about the best ways to work within the group.
Relationships have growing cycles
In a previous career, I was involved in a number of meetings alongside the Retail Buyer for a large chain of Garden Centres. We were talking to a nursery about our Azalea, Rhododendron and Heather requirements. A 2 year Azalea takes just that – 2 years – to grow and some of the Heathers took 3 years. If we underestimated our requirements for 2 –3 years out, there was no quick way of growing the shortfall. We would have to hope that someone had stock of them at a reasonable price. A large tree, planted now, may take decades to mature. Building relationships also takes time. You CAN force some plants and accelerate their growth but it is almost always at the expense of the plant. Forcing a relationship may result in a short-term gain but at the expense of the longer term.
Relationships need Nurturing
Plants require nourishment. Sun and rain are supplemented by the application of manure and other fertilisers. Now, I’m not suggesting that you heap manure on to your network but I am saying that care and consideration and regular attention will be repaid. Making a contact once at a networking meeting is simply never going to be enough for that person to know you and to be able to refer you. Nor can you know them and refer them properly and it is a two way process. So regular contact, deeper conversation and knowing their needs and characteristics will help you refer them – and referring them is the quickest way to finding that others refer you. If you want or need referrals – lead by example.
Have an overall plan
How do you want the whole garden to look? Where are the pathways, what are the vistas, how does this area relate to that? In the same way, you need to consider what your overall networking will deliver and how that fits with the rest of your marketing. Do the transitions work? Is the overall effect what you wanted it to be? What does each networking group deliver?
Know your plants and varieties
Some flowers are annuals and produce flowers quickly. Some perennials may only flower infrequently or not at all. Some networking groups are close knit and mutually supportive. Some are mixers and allow you to meet an ever-changing cast of characters. Others offer education with some networking. Finally, some give the organiser a platform for promoting their business and offer less to the participants. Have a strategy for each and remember that most people can be found in more than one place. If a particular network doesn’t offer the type of networking that offers the best fit with your strategy and approach, there are always other varieties available.
For most, networking is a long term influencing strategy that will produce results by building bridges to other business people. So whether you are planning a garden redesign or your networking strategy, sustainability is an important factor. Both take time and effort and in both, patience and care bring their own rewards.
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I hope this is useful for those approaching networking and joining new networking groups. Please feel free to add your comments.
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