(Originally posted: 3/30/10)
If you put your “real” self into networking you can gain enormous rewards. Almost everything we do in life involves networking of some sort. One of my biggest clients came from a referral from a friend and hairstylist who I had know for over 10 years. I never thought of my interactions with my friend as networking. I am genuinely interested in her and her life, dreams, desires, needs, wants, etc. I am present in my relationship with her and she with me and that’s why when she heard a need for a CPA, I was the most logical choice to her.
Networking is getting to know other people – it’s just that simple but, of course, since it’s a people activity we’ve set-up groups and made up rules and guidelines. No matter where you are “networking” if you keep in mind that you are simply meeting other people it certainly makes the whole experience more of an adventure and possibly even fun. Organized networking groups can make building alliances with business neighbors much easier and quicker than going door-to-door. In WBB, I can honestly say that we have fun every meeting. We get to know each other well by meeting weekly and form such a nice camaraderie. Change is such a constant in our modern world that it is a comfort to meet with a group of people who know you well on a weekly basis.
I’ve met so many wonderful people through networking and gained knowledge and insight. I love people’s stories and weekly group networking is the ticket. I have a good friend and business colleague who I try to get together with on a regular basis, our goal is every other week or so. Guess what?? We rarely make that schedule and we love to share time together. Life gets in the way. With my WBB meeting I have made a commitment to be there each week or to send a substitute. Do I make every week? NO but I try and so do all of the other members and it matters.
So what can networking do for you, really?? Personally my first West Coast client was met at my first group networking meeting after moving to Eugene. A good friend of mine met a great friend at a networking meeting who then introduced her to her brother who she married! A grandmother I know now has an adopted granddaughter through networking. Her grandchildren are on another coast and her networking friends parents and her daughter grandparents are on the other coast too.
The possibilities of networking are only limited to your imagination! Ready, Set, Network!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
