Your network is just as important as your qualifications, skills and experience. And just as you, no doubt, consider and plan how to develop your qualifications, skills and experience, you need to have a strategy for networking too. If you don't you are in danger of networking randomly and ending up, if you're lucky, with a quantity-over-quality network; if you're unlucky, a confused collection of unhelpful connections - neither of which are good for you or look good to someone considering hiring you.
So what is involved in creating a networking strategy? Primarily it is about defining your direction and then deciding which resources to allocate to that direction. Here are 6 steps to make it happen:
Step 1: Decide why you need the network (i.e. your direction): is it for developing your career or business contacts? Are you trying to find out more about an industry or organisation? Are you looking for support with regard to your trade or seeking sponsorship? You could be wanting to create a team of experts or bond with your existing team. Define your networking goals and prioritise them.
Step 2: Once you've determined the urgency of your networking goals, work out how you are going to spend your time: should you focus on cementing existing relationships or developing new ones? Should you prioritise internal or external contacts?
Step 3: Make a list of who can help you achieve your goals:
- Colleagues – current and former
- Managers/coaches/mentors/sponsors
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Friends/family
- Specialists
- Recruiters/Headhunters
- Clubs/membership organisations
- Introducers
'Introducers' are associates of people you want to get to know and are often accountants, solicitors, bank managers, non-executive directors. Make a list of the ones you already know.
Step 4: Set a target number of contacts for each of your short, medium and long-term goals.
Step 5: Decide the best way to connect with people: will you make contact on Twitter, via LinkedIn, over email? Or is it likely to be possible to speak in person or over video call? Get all your social media profiles up to date and suitable for making professional connections; find out about real life and online communities you are interested in; investigate the functions, exhibitions and virtual events that will enable you to develop your network in person.
Step 6: Plan your 'attack': How will you present yourself? Have you got business cards or a suitable email signature? Have you got a 60-second pitch? What can you offer your potential contacts? What questions will you ask about them? Make sure that at each introduction you know what you are going to say and that it aligns with your particular goal.
As with any strategy, things will change and develop. You must decide which relationships should be prioritised and strengthened and which ones simply need to be maintained or which ones should be forgotten about.
Your network is key to the success of your career so make sure you have a strategy.