Networking gets a bad rap.
It’s not what you think it is: the back-slapping, business-card-pushing thing those slimy salesmen do. (I know, because my father was a salesman, though only slightly slimy.)
Plus, people who “dis” networking are usually doing what I call “random networking” (which doesn’t work at all), instead of “strategic networking” (which works beautifully).
Let me explain…
Random networking is going to a business card exchange at the local chamber of commerce, when you’re a white paper writer for the healthcare and healthtech industries. It’s very unlikely you’ll find your ideal clients at the local chamber.
Strategic networking is going to a business card exchange at the local chamber of commerce, because you love small-business owners and want to use your SEO-copywriting expertise to help them grow.
Strategic networking is one of the most effective ways to meet clients, as well as potential referral sources (people who can pass your name along) and collaborative partners (other service providers, like web designers, with whom you can partner on projects).
It all starts with the right mindset
Just ask Danielle Hughes, Founder of the Personality Brand, who started as a freelance copywriter, but is now (thanks to strategic networking) building her business, More Than Words, into a company that does much more than copywriting. Here are Danielle’s tips for cultivating the right networking mindset:
- Get comfortable with the idea of networking. I don’t like the term networking, so I call it relationship-building. I go to events with the intention of helping people today, and I trust that, someday, they may return the favor.
- Finding your people takes time. If you have one bad experience, don’t write off every networking group. Try out several events and meet-ups to see which is the right fit for you. While it could be tempting to join the largest, most-established group you find, be open to smaller, more focused ones and even those that aren’t in your industry.
- Networking is a long game. It can take a while to get to know people in these groups – and for them to get to know you. Don’t expect to meet someone and immediately get a referral or new business. Relationship-building takes time and effort. Be patient and generous, and people will come to know and respect you – and that’s when you’ll begin reaping the benefits of your network.
- One-on-ones count as networking, too. Don’t rely solely on group meetings to get to know people. Make time for individual talks over coffee, lunch or on Zoom (video). This is where you’ll learn more about your connections, including their lives outside work. This is where the real bonding happens.
Networking is showing up
With strategic networking, you place yourself – quite literally – in the ecosystem your best prospects are likely to inhabit. That’s how you meet the most viable prospects – those are the ones who value your services, some of whom will be willing to pay top dollar for them.
Just ask Conrad Winter, a copywriter specializing in the transportation and logistics markets – and a self-proclaimed introvert. If you ask him what his best marketing tool is, he will say, “Networking.”
In fact, through the relationships he’s built doing consistent and super-strategic networking – online and in real time – he has become a regular guest blogger for the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association. He also not only attends but has given presentations at the TMSA annual conference. And, even more impressively, in 2022, Conrad won the Trailblazer Award for his contributions to the association.
From an introvert? How can that be?
Here’s what Conrad says:
“By researching the niches I was interested in, I found the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association. They have an annual conference, and it’s been perfect for me to attend. At first, it was intimidating, because it meant networking in a tight-knit group. Even though I had a couple years of industry experience, I thought it wasn’t enough, and I felt some anxiety.
“Finding myself alone in a corner at a networking event can make me mortally afraid. Even with my experience, that fear’s still there. I had to change my way of thinking about networking. I had to remember that everyone is at the event to meet people.
“To my surprise, they were immediately welcoming, which was not at all what I was expecting. I was completely blown away. I was afraid I was going to show up as a vendor interloper, but it was actually a great experience. One of the best things I learned is that this market really needs what I do.”
That’s right – in fact, most industries need good copywriters. And – you’re not going to believe this, but it’s true – they don’t know where or how to find good copywriters.
The fortune is in the follow-up
It’s not enough to attend one event. From there, you need to take advantage of all the opportunities to let the people you meet get to know you. You see, people work with people they know, like, and trust. That’s why showing up at their events over and over – a.k.a., strategic networking – is the most effective way to lay the groundwork for this knowing, liking and trusting. Better than emailing them. Better than hoping they find you on social media. Better than hoping they have time to read your blog post.
Just ask Sharlet Brennan… here’s her story:
“My clients are travel-and-event companies. I joined Meeting Planners International to meet local people in my niche. MPI Orlando seemed like a perfect fit. But, as the day of my first meeting approached, the thought of walking into a roomful of strangers stopped me cold.
“Luckily, as a member of AWAI’s GRO Business Incubator, I had learned that the fortune is in the follow-up and that effective networking isn’t only about what happens at the event. It’s also about what you do before and after it.
“And so, instead of canceling my registration, I sent LinkedIn connection requests to MPI Orlando chapter board members and told them I was a new member planning to attend their next meeting. Everyone was wonderful. We connected online, which meant that, at the event, I walked into a roomful of people I already knew. They actually took me around and introduced me to the other members. I left the meeting with lots of quality contacts to follow up with. I didn’t waste any time. Later that day, I connected with each one on LinkedIn, and instantly my local network grew.
“I had also learned that people do business with others they know, like, and trust. And that building trust is about being consistent and showing up. So, I became a regular at chapter and committee meetings. True, I love writing and running my own business. But, let’s face it – working alone gets… well, lonely. And these meetings were informative and fun.”
That’s not all. Sharlet won the Spark Award for her contributions as a new member to the MPI Orlando chapter, which brought her to the attention of the entire chapter. Talk about expanding your network!
So, what should you do next?
Start by cultivating the right mindset for strategic networking:
- Approach any event you attend as a research expedition, rather than a “sales” opportunity. If being yourself is too stressful, play the role of “business detective.”
- Don’t try to sell yourself. Instead, use curiosity as a marketing tool and bring 2-3 questions to any event you attend – questions you genuinely want answered. For me, those questions include, “How did you get into this niche?” or “Why do you do what you do?”
- Seek to learn as much as you can about the people, companies, projects, and opportunities you encounter. You never know when or how you’ll be able to use what you learn in the future.
While working on your mindset, step out into the world – real or virtual:
- Find one monthly event to attend, where you can meet people. These could be actual clients or potential partners and referral sources. As I mentioned above, designers of all kinds are excellent referral sources for copywriters. So, you could do your networking through the local chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild.
- Follow up after you meet. Connect with everyone you meet on LinkedIn.
- Stay in touch with your content marketing, which could be a newsletter, whether via email or via LinkedIn.
Because, here’s the thing: It’s all about whom you know and who knows you. It’s all about cultivating relationships over time, getting to know people, and letting them get to know you. And, the most effective way to connect with people is to meet them in real time and, whenever possible, in person.
Hopefully, what you’ve learned here makes you a little less nervous – and maybe even a little excited – about strategic networking.
For the past 35 years, Ilise Benun has made it her business to teach basic business skills – money, marketing and mindset – to copywriters and other creative professionals who should have learned them in school but, alas, did not – because it’s not taught in school. She does this through coaching and teaching, speaking and writing and podcasting and more – all of which can be found at marketing-mentor.com
