Ten years ago, I walked into a networking meeting a contact had invited me to. I’d been in business about four months, and for the most part my experience of networking was simply drop-in chats — but this one, run by an organisation I’d never heard of called 4Networking, was slightly more formal. We even got breakfast supplied
I joined 4N the same day, and I’ve been a member ever since, without a break. Until 2020, I regularly attended a dozen or so local face-to-face meetings (and a few rather less local). Since everything migrated online, apart from a few physical excursions I’ve mainly done meetings on Zoom. This has enabled me to network with people from all over the UK and beyond — the furthest was Australia.
So What’s So Special About 4N?
4N isn’t the only networking I do. It’s not the only one I enjoy, or the only one that’s valuable. Over those ten years, though, about half my clients and suppliers have come through attending 4N meetings. I’ve also learnt a huge amount from fellow members, both about running a business and about some more arcane knowledge, from mixing cocktails to noise music (I didn’t even know that was a thing).
And, most importantly, I’ve made many good friends.
As I said, I enjoy other networking groups as well, of various kinds. Networking groups range in type from informal drop-ins to lock-out groups, and they all have their place. My favourite outside 4N is North London and Hertfordshire Business Networking, a fortnightly lock-out group — though considerably less demanding and regulated than some.
4Networking falls in the middle. Meetings are formally structured, but there’s no compulsion to attend — unless you’re on the team, of course. You join the organisation, not any particular meeting. Although most members have certain meetings they try to get to as often as possible, it’s entirely flexible.
The same is true about referrals. Some networking organisations seem to put quantity of referrals above quality, which can sometimes result in unhelpful leads. In 4N, referrals come from learning to know, like and trust each other, not to make up a quota.
Networking Effectively
So what have ten years of networking taught me about how to do it effectively? It could be a very long list, but here are a few crucial points:
- Arrive before the meeting starts and don’t rush straight off — those are times when a lot of connections are made. Life (and traffic) happens, and it’s not always possible, but do your best.
- Stay fully engaged throughout the meeting, and that includes putting your phone on silent and not answering unless it’s urgent. This isn’t the time for multitasking.
- If you get a chance to introduce yourself, whether it’s 40 seconds, 60 seconds or however long, don’t just tell people what you do. Show them how you’re different. Using testimonials can be effective, but make sure everyone remembers you — for the right reasons.
- If you get a chance to give a talk to the meeting (like 4Sights in 4N meetings), take it. You can use it to demonstrate your expertise, but you can also show everyone that you’re an interesting person.
- If more experienced members give you advice about how you could come over more effectively, accept it with gratitude. They’re trying to help you, not criticising.
- When you have the chance to talk directly to people, use it as an opportunity to learn more about them. We’re all interested in ourselves, so they’ll remember you far better if you don’t talk about yourself all the time.
- Relax and be yourself. People buy people — they’ll be far more interested in who you really are than in any mask you might put on.
- Never assume that someone’s “irrelevant”. Even if they’re unlikely to buy from you, their best friend or their partner could be your ideal customer.
- Make it easy for people to connect with you afterwards. At an in-person meeting, bring business cards (physical or digital) with all your contact details. Online, put all that information in the chat — and label yourself with your full name. I’m not going to go searching for “John”.
- Follow up all contacts. Connect on social media, send an email, pick up the phone — whichever suits you best. Ideally, arrange meetings with as many people as possible.
Do you have any other tips for successful networking? Put them in the comments below.