Women’s Network Australia Blog

Networking - The Social Norms

The business community is currently a-buzz with the virtues of social networking and how it can return results for business success. Just to get a feel for what all the hype is about, this past week-end I decided to bite the bullet and spend some time familiarising myself with the Top 5 social networking sites.

It was a bit like doing 5 networking events in the one day. I was totally exhausted and over it by the end. My conclusion after the exercise was that exactly the same mistakes being made by those networking real time have now transferred to social networking sites.

Here are my thoughts:

Be Selective: As is the case with networking organisations, joining multiple social sites won’t help you achieve better business results. You’re much better off selecting two favourite social sites and spending time working them to their fullest extent. Throwing enough mud hoping some of it sticks doesn’t work real time and it’s not going to work online either.

Stay on Target: If aiming to attract and influence potential clients, select social sites where your style of clients hang out. At all times keep your branding and position in the market place top of mind.

Maintain Image: Decide how you want to be perceived in the market place and write your content with this point in mind. Balance it with the type of personal stories your target market can relate to and if you have a keen sense of humour share this along the way.

Stay on Purpose:  Sure building your business and product profile online is the aim of the game but full on selling inhibits relationships. If you don’t want to be avoided like the plague provide content rich information and resources and you’ll attract a steady stream of followers.

Lynette Palmen AM, Founder and Director, Women’s Network Australia. Subscribe free to WNA’s weekly eNoticeBoard service or attend a WNA networking event in your region.

What veteran networkers know to be true

Mention the word networking to most people and they cringe in horror. But for many, when economic times are tough and budgets are slashed, networking comes back on the radar as a low cost and effective means of making connections.

Be ready because due to the current down-turn in the world economy there’s going to be a flood of novice networkers hitting the market. Many who in more buoyant markets have dismissed networking as a brash business card dispensing in your face exercise are now being forced to seek ways of attracting new business.

Switched on veteran networkers know that you don’t just turn your networking button on or off with market fluctuations. There is a level of respect between networkers. Regardless of the state of the economy, they know for sure that networking is a vital and invaluable skill that saves them time, effort and money in building business and personal relationships.

What veteran networkers know to be true

It’s vitally important to build your networks on a ‘care’ factor. Being authentic and interested in other people is the secret essence to successful networking. Falseness or a hidden agenda of making quick sales is a sure way to kill off any potential relationships.

Be prepared to always step outside your comfort zone. The shyest of people often make the best networkers. It comes naturally for them to listen to others opposed to mouthing off about themselves. It’s no secret that you always learn heaps more by listening than talking.

Don’t expect that from just throwing a few business cards around at networking events that your phone will start ringing. It takes 18 months to build meaningful networking relationships that start producing quality results, so sadly laziness and the lack of ability to stick to anything eliminates most people anyway.

Networking is not about building a trophy case of business cards. Don’t bother taking someone’s business card and tell them you are going to ring when you have no intention of doing so. And if you do make this mistake and feel guilty because you don’t have the time to follow them up use one of WNA’s free ecards to make initial contact until you do have the time to make a personal phone call.

If you’re an employee and not a business owner DO NOT attend networking events with an ‘I’m above it all as I have nothing to sell’ attitude. Besides the fact that your employer would be totally embarrassed to think you were out there representing the firm with such a poor attitude, recognise that the skills and information you possess across all aspects of your life - not just where you work - are all part of what you bring to the networking table. Get with the program and realise that you do actually have something to give and receive through the networking process. It is not about selling something!

Take responsibility for your future success. If your employer will not cover your attendance at networking events step up and part with the money yourself. Throughout your life employers will come and go but the quality networking connections you make are with you for life. They are yours and no one can take them away from you.

Lynette Palmen AM, Founder and Director, Women’s Network Australia. Subscribe free to WNA’s weekly eNoticeBoard service or attend a WNA networking event in your region.

Networking Streets Ahead

I have spent the last week or so in beautiful Tasmania. I was officially on the ground to host our inaugural networking event, which took place in the usual civilized surroundings of one of the top hotels and it was a fabulous success.

However the day after the event my travels took me to the beautiful  Oatlands area. We dropped in for a nosh up at a fabulous little eatery - run by two wonderfully enthusiastic young women who cooked up a storm in kitchen but it was whilst wandering the streets and browsing the shops that I got a real feel for the community that exists between the traders that line the streets of this quaint township.

As always I found myself interviewing the entrepreneurial women running the various antique and craft shops that lined the towns centre. How did they network and share ideas and what forum did they find worked best for them to exchange ideas? It didn’t take long for them to introduce me to their afternoon ritual of a cuppa on the footpath outside the shop of whosever’s turn it was to boil the kettle that day.  From the footpath each store owner can see the comings and goings from their various shops and unlike in the city there is no fear of items being stolen or broken. The sense of trust was soothing for the soul.

It was an amazing experience and just exactly like a WNA Networking Event except held in the beautiful main street of Oatlands. I am not sure that we city folk have it that good after all. A big thank you to my new friends in Tassie, I loved the opportunity to take part in footpath networking. I’m on my way back in the month of November - so put the kettle on girls. 

Lynette L Palmen is the Founder and Managing Director of Women’s Network Australia W: www.womensnetwork.com.au   

Social Web Attracts Women

Women are emerging as the queens of social online networking, according to a recent study by Rapleaf. Women have always been the biggest users of networking skills, nurturing relationships, exchanging info and igniting trade with each other. But this study reveals that women are currently the biggest users of the social web. 

The report is not small either, it includes 49.3 million users. It’s not surprising really, women are time poor and they have always enjoyed communicating and socialising more than men. The researchers indicate that men do network, but to get them interested networking needs to go hand in hand with transactions and outcomes. After all, why bother talking unless you have to?

If your website and eMarketing tools are still on the back burner in your ‘to do’ tray, you best get moving. The study shows that the emerging market of 14-24 year olds are currently the biggest users of the social web. Women outnumber  men 3 times in this age group with 16 million female users and 11.5 million male users in this demographic.

The lesson here is that if you run a business and have plans to be running a viable business in 5-10 years, you best get eMarketing and Social Web savvy. In the blink of an eye the  14-24 year olds will be 24-34 years of age. How are you going to connect with them is the question you need to be asking yourself.

Lynette Palmen AM is the Founder and Managing Director of Women’s Network Australia, the leading business and professional women’s networking organisation in the Nation. Subscribe FREE to WNA’s weekly eNoticeBoard.

Fraternising With The Competition - It’s Good for You.

I received an email recently seeking my networking guidance, it went on to ask… “I am a solicitor and thinking about becoming a member of a networking organisation, should I find out how many other solicitors are members of the group before I join and if there is too much competition? Melissa

Dear Melissa,
Even if the networking group you are considering joining had over 100 solicitors as current members you should NOT be using this to calculate the value you will gain from also joining. Fraternising with your competition can pay dividends. I’ll expand out with a few pointers on what I mean.

The 80/20 Rule:  Joining an organisation is easy for anyone to do, it’s what happens after and how actively you participate that will decide the outcomes of your networking activities. Only 20% of people can be bothered actually doing anything, so this wipes out 80% of your competition straight away. Read the rest…