Common-Sense Networking

Ruth Gatling's approach to networking belies the notion that more is better. After opening a business in New Jersey, she found she could attend at least one networking event every business day until she reached the point of overload. Rather than try to keep it up, she became more strategic in her approach, going to fewer events to get to know people more personally. So, her guide posts became:

Familiarity: ...(S)eeing the same faces time and time again is the best way to get to know people. Few people do business based on a single encounter. We want to take the time to become familiar with each other. What’s the best way to do this? Keep going back. I may not go to a lot of events, but the ones I go to, I go to religiously…

Participation: ...to really reap the benefits of networking I get involved. Any organization is essentially a business and running a business requires manpower. My top two networking organizations are BNI (Business Network International) and NJAWBO (New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners). Contributing my time and expertise to the operational aspects of these two organizations has helped me to develop strong ties with other participants. These ties have turned into excellent business opportunities…

Commonality: We all tend to seek out like-minded people. Whether it’s political viewpoints or food preferences, we find comfort in the shared experience. Some of my comfort zones: Women business owners, small business owners, moms, yoga fanatics...

Yoga fanatics and business? Well, yes and no. No, Gatling's not in the yoga business. But, yes, having something in common eases conversation and leads to any number of connections closer to her field (which is administrative services). "Unless I’m at a business networking function I rarely enter into a conversation with business at the forefront of my thoughts. But it’s always in the back of my mind," she writes.

This is a common-sense approach that can apply to most any kind of business, and at most any level. So much of what you read about networking exhorts you to go out and connect (I've done a fair amount of exhorting, myself), but Gatling focuses on making sure your efforts are well-spent.

Her article appears in the National Networker, a site that bills itself as "both a newsletter as well as website portal for all Networking activity throughout the United States." Full disclosure: It was founded by someone I met in a networking group but have come to regard as a friend, and whom I've found to be a thoughtful business coach, Adam Kovitz. If you're interested in networking, I do recommend signing up for its e-mail newsletter. Sometimes, it can be a bit overly rosy about the joys of networking, but for those who need ideas and encouragement, it's a good read.

One Business Woman’s Experience in the World of Networking [National Networker]