Netfurking

Being that I love relationship building, it's clear I am a big fan of networking, but I do dislike the word. It sounds so strategic and manipulative, like you're there with a plan to net WORK. I prefer to think of it as focused socialising or 'netfurking'. At the end of the day, relationships are everything in business and life. We need to see twice as many people as we did 12-18 months ago to do the same amount of business. Yet, we don't have any more TIME to do this.

So where do we find people to meet and how do you fit it all in? Times are changing rapidly and of course, there is the traditional method of attending networking events which I do 2-3 times per week and nothing beats that face to face connection. However, from a time perspective, it can take 2-3 hours out of your day . The latest trend is towards online networking which for introverts is especially welcomed as they don't need to meet anyone face to face. It also saves you time as you really only need to be spending 10-20 minutes every other day to maintain your presence and build relationships online.

There is still a fair amount of skepticism around whether you actually get results from online networking like twitter and face book and I can say from my experience, the answer is an emphatic YES. One of the main benefits is that it can often transition a relationship from business to personal much faster as online you get to see inside each others' worlds very quickly.
The rules of the game are very similar to if you were networking in the real world. With twitter for example, you follow people. Now you wouldn't turn up at a party and start following someone and not have a conversation with them, just stand behind them, looking over their shoulder or immediately try to sell them something. You can't follow people on twitter and not interact. It is all about conversations. The most important tip is don't sell! With any kind of networking, it is not about money, it's about building relationships beyond the dollar, you get so many other benefits.....but you must be patient. Remember, people don't care what you do till they know who you are.

So how do we get people to know people online when you're not face to face? For me, the key is being willing to be open and share parts of yourself. Otherwise why bother being on there. People want to get to know each other on a deeper level. Authenticity is said to be the new buzzword of the 21st century and it's about people wanting something real from someone genuine. So be open.