Networking = The Circle of Trust

Tell the truth. What does your "network" do? How many times do you actually plug into your so called network? Now let's be honest. You network is a stack of hundreds of good looking business cards that got the once over when it was handed to you and most often stashed away. If you are like me they are at least cleverly rubber-banded together and then stashed away. This is not a network. It's a dead end that offers little more than a polite email after the initial face-to-face. "Hello. It as good meeting you. If you ever need..." Blah blah blah and yada yada yada, thank you very much. We've all heard it before and we've all done it before. Guilty as charged. It is possible to make the contact and connections work far more effectively, but we first have to be aware of what ails us to begin with.

From the moment we decide to follow our creative conscience you become part of a "collective". A much larger group of innovative, inventive and imaginative thinkers; The Creative Class. As a Creative it's quite easy to plug into this brain-trust. A wealth of real-time and pertinent information geared toward creative thought and solutions. So why doesn't this offer a front-row seat to amazing networking? One word: Trust.

You see, Creatives are the coolest “haters” ever. We make nice, or fake nice, with the best of them but often refuse to truly work together even if we actually do work together. We are conditioned by our professions and scholastic training have a critical eye of our peers and the work we see. We also re-deploy that very kindergarten practice of covering your "answers" to oppose theft of your oh-so-original thoughts. One can't be faulted for wanting to protect intellectual property, but how can we get past this to be able to share information openly? Trust. Your network has to be closer to you.

There must be an effective personal connection or the lines of communication will never be fully opened. Now that's not to say that you have to be "bff" with everyone in your professional circle, but let's be completely candid; If you don't like someone or you aren't clicking on that interpersonal communication tip, all things said and shared will be filtered and tainted by the swing-and-miss communication with a person that you don't vibe with. Now some will say that's not a good business move. I say, as respectfully as possible, "whatever!" For the majority of the white-collar world it's fine to blanket a tradeshow floor with contact numbers, cards and literature. They are going for a small response percentage by shear volume of possible contacts. But for Creatives this won't work. Again let's be real. How many times have we gotten (or given) a plastic smile and paper thin sincerity that's more annoying than inspiring. We are looking for real information and networking by way of closer-knit connections with faces we know and trust. In this sense the exact opposite of popular belief holds true. Your network is not more effective the more contacts you have. Refer to paragraph one and the part about the business card graveyard. Look to first narrow your networking focus so that your immediate group of contacts are in this trusted circle. From there be very selective about the specific people you deal with. This will go a long way. There is a good fit for all of our varying personalities and ways of working. Remember, fit is fantastic and connection is key.

6 Real Networking Tips:

Networking is a much a social art as it is a business necessity. Here are some tested and proven things I've learned go a long way to opening the networking flood gates.

Establish and test the social vibe.
You don't have to be old glee choir buddies but you know when you are getting along with someone or the conversation is coming very easily. This is as important as anything else you can do. The simple truth is that people deal with people they like. Not some earth-shattering business revelation, just reality. To quote A Tribe Called Quest: "If the vibe ain't right... you're leavin'!" So true. Many might say this step is not very business savvy but I beg to differ.

Jump right in.
People can sense when you are milling about wanting to ask something but you don't. The vibe then turns very strange and you come off more as an uneasy passer-by. Jump right in or move on. Besides you look creepy just hanging on the fringe of a conversation.

Offer as much as you take.
Many times a benevolent offer of information or services will net you as much, if not more, in return. Pay it forward and give as much as you take. It's comes back in spades! Don't come off too cocky or know-it-all, but if you have something good to offer up, do it! You'll be a hit. People are more prone to help someone who offered help to them.

Avoid e-small talk.
Avoid the "hey remember me" or "it was really nice to meet you" emails with no real information being passed. After networking or meeting new contacts, not everyone's memory will be as fresh as yours might be. Contact after the meet-up will need some pertinent information to go along with the re-greet. The online communication is still very faceless. E-mails that are too vague and ask questions that may get one-word answers rarely help opening up dialogue.

Communicate without always needing something.
Remember that kid who always came along with your crew but was always a little short when time to pay up? Uh, yeah... No one likes a mooch. Enough said. It would be nice to check in from time to time and offer at least a quasi sincere communication without needing something.

Remember, these are relationships.
As Creatives, we make emotional links and connections. Networking is about the establishing of connections for future business reasons, be that a need for goods or services of some kind. That's good, but building trust and some kind of relationship is necessary for trusted and good communication. An established networking partner you trust, and that trusts you, is most likely going to have your interests in mind when something comes up. Again, not a big money business plan thing you hear about, but for Creatives this is a huge plus in the networking and communication department.