Who Says Networking is Useless!

Yesterday I had an excellent time at Mark Greenwood’s “Simply Networking” in Manchester.  As ever a wonderful host Simply Networking Site

And the venue was really different Chill Factor, Manchester Thank you Mark

As I had not been to the Manchester event before I was not expecting to meet people I know so my strategy was to speak to 10 new people.  That is an average of 12 minutes per meeting – 4min for them to make an introduction, 4 mins for me to do the same and 4mins for us to see how we can help each other. I say an average as some may be faster and, after all, we must allow time for a few cuppas!  I have come home with 9 new cards plus I actually found one person I know. 

And today is “follow up” day.   What is the point of making my way to Manchester, spending 2 hrs of my very valuable time there and trotting off home again if I do not follow up!!!  Yet, it is amazing how many behave in exactly this way.  They rush about to events, do not know how to work the room professionally and so annoy the professionals, waste lots of their precious time and do absolutely no follow up.   Then they moan that the event was no good!!!  So far ONE person has the initiative to contact me before I did him.   I’m impressed Gary...... you know who you are.  And of the remaining 8 no one has responded. So what responsibility and action are people taking for their own success?

Who says Networking is useless?  Those who do where did you learn the skills? How long were the training courses? What follow up did you learn?

Wondering what the hell I’m rambling on about?  Most people do when I first ask this and they are surprised to learn that the power of Professional Networking is very powerful indeed.

One experience yesterday was when I was in a “closed two” and interrupted by a lady.  She started her sales speal... Being a bit naffed off as we were talking some serious stuff; I said this is a “closed two”.  The poor lady is stiff looking at me as if I had horns on!   But she continued.  Only out of courtesy did I stop and listen to this lady.  As it happened she had some useful info to share but I now have a very bad opinion of her.  Remember business is all about other people’s opinions...

Why are people surprised to learn that networking is a real skill, a profession and like any profession, it must be learned?  If you walked into a bar for the first time would you expect to be able to pull a great pint of Guinness?  I doubt it.   So why are people thrown in at the deep end with networking?

Everyone serious about networking for new clients will want to know and DO more about this:-
Networking Skills Workshop

Here’s to a profitable week.

Agnes G. Fitzgerald
Linkage Point

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