Your network is your net worth. Or… Your network are some of the best friends you’ll ever have!
As we close in on 2022, many of us are spending time planning for the new year. Industry events are ones that people look at closely. But for a younger audience, these can be somewhat daunting. Working hard at your desk can be much more appealing than going to a meet-up trying to force conversation with people you don’t know.
I guess, the purpose of this article is to say that, the perception is wrong in many circumstances, not all, but many. We believe networking groups can be broken into two categories:
1) Transactionary groups - it’s members duty to give each other leads.
2) Community groups - members build meaningful & sustainable relationships around their interests and heritage. Business will look after itself in the long-term.
Everyone has their own way of doing business. But, the latter option has given both of us a better return. And we created some of our best friends along the way. We (Tiernan and I) met at BITA five years ago. We are great friends and talk to each other every day.
But…
Before deep-diving into a networking group like BITAx or any community focused group, there are a few things to bear in mind. We asked our members what they were:
“Join with an open mindset. Be keen to understand more about other people and their businesses. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it” - James Rae, Roca Group.
“It’s about building relationships, and not a ‘quick fix’ to generate business”.
“You’re never sure what challenges your professional life may present. Building a robust network of people around helps you stay dynamic and diversified in your ability to react to situations or simply helping others out” - Tiernan Dixon, Superbeam.
“It’s a gateway into a much larger and more established network of business professionals who have wisdom and knowledge that will help develop your career and business” - Paul Edmonds, Kornerstone & Partners.
Wrapping up
Network with the mindset of ‘what can I do to help this group’, not ‘what can this group do for me’. It may take some time, but serendipity will eventually kick in. And you’ll make some of your best friends.
By Andrew Curtin & Tiernan Dixon
