Networking in this age of entrepreneurship is an essential activity. We can all stand to improve our skills and learn how to network more effectively.
How to Network is a free online course covering the basics of networking. Alex Swallow, the course instructor, provides his “3 P’s Method” for networking successfully. The course is one hour long.
Why We Are Nervous About Networking
For some people, networking events are a breeze. For many others, these events seem unavoidable and scary.
Mr. Swallow argues there are three basic reasons for why we are not good at networking. First, we lack practice, because we do not engage in networking frequently enough. Second, we don’t want to be put on the spot, to have to summarize everything about ourselves in a few words. Third, we fear rejection.
The solution to these woes, the way to get better at networking, is to follow the instructor’s “3 P’s Method”:
- Pre – what you do before the event
- Present – what you do during the event
- Post – what you do after the event
PRE – Before the Event
First, you want to spend some time researching. Get a list of the attendees. Find out who is speaking and what topics might be covered.
Second, use the research to determine your goal for the event. This could be someone new that you want to meet. Or practicing relationship building by meeting again with people you met previously. You need to develop one main goal, so you go into the event ready to accomplish it.
With your goal in hand, you are ready to attend the event.
PRESENT – During the Event
Try to achieve your goal as early as possible during the event. You never know when that person you want to meet will have to leave.
While you have a goal, make sure to be present with whomever you meet. Do not look past the person you are talking to in order to find someone more interesting, or find the person you have been looking to meet.
Remember that you want to remember the people you meet! Take a moment to write down their names and something memorable about them. Or get a business card, and take a note on the back.
Networking is about meeting people and making connections, so when you meet someone, make sure to follow-up after the event.
POST – After the Event
Once the event is over, follow up with your new connections as soon as possible, while the memories are still fresh.
Send LinkedIn requests to your new contacts. Follow them on Twitter and other social media, or send an email reminding them of your contact information.
Also give public thanks to the event organizer (e.g. mention them on Twitter).
Get Better at Networking Over Time
Recognize that your networking skills will improve the more you practice and it will not happen overnight. As you gain more experience, you will also figure out how to have more compact, useful conversations that benefit everyone involved more efficiently.
To make it easier for others to network with you, work on being very clear about the main thing you do or want to do. The course illustrates the difference between two contacts, one of whom has lots of interests in many directions, while the other has a very clear primary interest in one area. It is easier to remember the person who has a clear main interest, and to stay connected to that person through this one topic.
Further Networking Advice
The course provides advice on improving your networking skills in addition to the 3 P’s Method.
Being memorable is one thing to work on.
- Show interest in other people; be likable and friendly.
- Make sure you are present in the room and with the people you are meeting.
- Be super clear about what you do
- Have a well-polished elevator pitch, BUT
- Do not launch into a full-blown sales pitch when asked what you do
Another tip from the instructor is to help others network. If you introduce two people who could benefit from knowing each other, that is a great help you have provided to both of the people involved.
Finally, the course discusses some tactics to help if you get nervous during an event. Engage in some activity to help clear your mind, like going to the bathroom, or getting a drink. Another key is to set a simple objective that will leave you with a positive experience. For example, decide to meet one person, or stay an extra 5 minutes, or thank the speaker, before you leave.
Key Takeaways
Networking is a tricky subject, because it can easily descend to a macho game of “winning” by some arbitrary metric, like who collects the most business cards. Or it becomes a popularity contest, with each person trying to be seen as the best at an event, similar to how people want to get dozens of Likes and Retweets on social media posts for validation. Sad.
I have read multiple books on the subject of networking and they are each more in-depth and honestly more useful than this course.
To help avoid the pitfalls of networking becoming another channel for relentless self-promotion, I suggest reading more broadly about effective communication. For example:
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0
- Crucial Conversations
I only recommend this course to absolute beginners. Or if you are way out of practice, or want a refresher on the most basic fundamentals of networking. If none of these apply, then you should skip the course and download my course guide below, which includes my course notes.
I structured my course notes like a checklist. This is the most efficient way to summarize the key takeaways and to make the most use of this course material. When you are planning to attend a networking event, review the checklist (page 4 in the course guide) to keep it fresh in your mind.
