Why you need to start networking NOW

Posted by efficiencycoach on Mon, 11/10/2010 - 13:52 in Blogs 517 | report

“You are now competing with everyone on a global scale. There is no job security at all, and now it is all about being found instead of submitting your resume. Networking is the way to be found, and how the smart people get jobs and opportunities now. That is the big difference from even five years ago.”

Dan Schawbel, author of ‘Me 2.0: Build a powerful brand to achieve career success’

Many people start to proactively network when they want something, for example, a new job or new clients. This is too late. Core to any networker’s continual success are strong relationships built on a foundation of trust. These relationships and trust don’t magically appear on a first or second meeting; they take time to establish. This means that the best time to build and invest time in your network is at least six months before you need to call upon it.

“We are living in a knowledge economy in which the first thing to recognise is no single person is smart enough by themselves to be genuinely successful.”

Hamish Taylor, Shinergise partners Ltd

Effective business networking is the process of building up mutually beneficial relationships for your career or business. It is not the start of the sales process. Let me give you an example, of how networking personally helped me achieve my biggest career success – being commissioned to write this book. Without the introductions and profile I achieved via my networking activities, I can categorically state I would not be writing ‘The Financial Times Guide to Business Networking’. Amazingly, it was not the five introductions into publishers which secured me this deal, it was the profile I had generated my online networking activities, which brought me to the attention of FT Prentice Hall.

As Dan Schawbel said in his quote, smart people are using networking to be found and get the best pieces of business and assignments. What are you personally missing out on by not proactively networking?

Heather Townsend is the driving force behind The Efficiency Coach and a co-founder of 'the executive village'
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The Joined Up Networker

I help professionals and firms become the Go-To-Expert. Unusually for someone with an Engineering Degree, I accidentally became a writer and used my knowledge on social media to write the current best-selling and award-winning book on networking, The FT Guide To Business Networking. (75 five star reviews on Amazon - and read the 1st chapter for free here) People frequently talk about me as someone who really knows her stuff – which may be the reason I have, over the last decade, worked with over 300 partners, coached and trained over 1000 professionals at every level of the UK’s most ambitious professional practices. After nearly 5 years for working for BDO LLP, I realised I loved the intellectual challenge of working with accountants, so made working with accountants (and lawyers as I am a glutton for punishment) my sector specialism.

I was honoured to be a judge at the British Accountancy Awards in 2011 and 2012, plus I am a member of the Accountant's Club Global Advisory Panel.

I’ve always loved a challenge which is why I have solved the problem in my next book, which has perplexed many accountants in practice – ‘How to make partner and still have a life’. Click on the link to read the 1st chapter for free.

The Excedia Group was founded by myself and Jon Baker to bring clarity, perspective and knowledge to help our clients achieve their business goals. Over 75% of our work comes from professional service firms - both large and small, helping them get more clients via referrals utilising networking and social media. Over 30% of the Excedia group’s clients are small professional practices of between 1-50 employees.

My work splits into about 50% Executive & Business Coaching with Partners, Practice Owners & Potential Partners, with the rest split between training, consultancy and writing.

I adore writing, (as well as helping others achieve their business goals without selling their soul) which is why I blog regularly at Partnership Potential, Joined Up Networking, How to make partner and still have a life and venture-Now

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