Question: what does a seasoned networking expert do on his holidays? Answer: take time out to talk all things networking!
A week ago John was a guest on Jarrang’s #sofasessions sofa. The result is an Insight series article on corporate Samphire Club member, Jarrang’s website. And John’s in good company: previous Insight series luminaries include club member, Thad Cox talking branding and Ernest Capbert on understanding your customers.
During the conversation with Jarrang’s Stafford Sumner and Tommy Tonkins, John expanded on what he considers effective networking: how it’s something that’s open to anyone, how it’s much more than a marketing tactic (it’s an ‘always on’ way of operating) and how the most valuable connections seem to come through strategically-envisioned serendipity:
“People perceive networking as going to an event, it’s not,” he tells us. “What I would say is you network every day, from the conversations you have through to how you’re using social media. You can’t dip in and out of it. Do it consistently and make it a state of mind. Be strategic with what you do and make it work for you. Know who you want to get in front of, build relationships with influencers and spend time on LinkedIn and Twitter engaging with your network.
“But the killer is, be nice, just be nice. Start a conversation and think about what you can do for someone else, not what they can do for you.”
Stafford, Jarrang’s Managing Director shared how important networking had been to building Jarrang’s success:
“90-95% of all Jarrang’s business has come from word of mouth. If you do a good job for someone, and show you care, then they’ll recommend you to their network. If you go to a networking event it’s an investment, you shouldn’t go there to try and sell things to people but to build relationships.”
For the full article, click here and happy networking!