Business mentor: Networking is treating people with respect

I own a small business and am frequently invited to "networking" events, but I have a feeling I don't make the most of my opportunities. While everyone else is swapping business cards and arranging coffee, I'm often left standing by the registration desk, feeling shy. What is networking - and can I learn how to do it?

Small business specialist Sarah Trotman spoke to Suzanne Moore, of the Trans Tasman Business Circle, for some advice:

"Networking" is really just a shorthand way of describing smart communication and it is a skill everyone can - and should - learn.

It doesn't mean you have to be insincere or pushy; in fact, the most successful networkers are those who know how to communicate in an open, genuine way. Most importantly, they know how to listen and always, always treat people and contacts with respect.

The value of networking is just like the importance of having a great group of friends; it means that when you have a business opportunity or a problem that needs resolving, you can quickly think of the right person to help.

It might be someone you met at a party, someone who once presented an impressive speech at a conference, a former colleague now working in a different field - but because you have an ongoing relationship with that person, it's easy to get in touch.

Many of New Zealand's successful business people have highly developed networking skills that have been carefully and deliberately fine tuned over the years.

People sometimes wrongly treat networking like hunting - they meet or hear about someone who seems useful in the short term, zero in on that person, use their services or their advice, and then let the relationship drop until next time they need a favour.

Instead, good networkers know that it is much more like farming than hunting. Just as a clever farmer nurtures crops and livestock, always thinking about the future, a savvy business leader will spend time thinking about and nurturing his or her group of contacts.

That means ringing up for a chat, inquiring about how business is coming along, and fostering relationships with people in a diverse range of jobs and industries, even though they don't necessarily present any immediate opportunities.

It takes time to build up relationships but that time is always a worthwhile investment.

Anyone can learn the skills of effective communication, like how to strike up conversations with strangers and how to ensure that your body-language lets people know that you are interested and open. Do you make eye contact? Are you smiling? Is your handshake firm and welcoming? Did you say your name clearly? Successful networking is not about how many people you meet, but how many remember you afterwards.

It's also smart to plan ahead. When you arrive at an event, you should already know who is attending, and have given some thought and research to those people who might make good contacts.

Find yourself a mentor. Do you know someone who seems to network with ease? Analyse their methods. How do they approach people? What sort of questions do they ask?

Mapping out a personal network is a good way to visualise how your cluster of contacts actually works in practice.

It's amazing how this can make things clear; all of a sudden, you can see what sort of people you know, how they all interconnect and where you might be able to fill some gaps.

* Suzanne Moore leads the sustainable business programme for the Trans Tasman Business Circle, which helps executives develop their networking skills in small groups or one-on-one coaching sessions. For more assistance on networking you can contact Suzanne on 09 373-3852 or email suzanne@transtasmanbusiness.co.nz