Creating “AHA” Moments In Your Personal Branding, Networking and Referral Marketing Strategies | Marketing/Sales Speaker Founder and CEO of Business Networking South Africa, a leader showing people how to network productively and stand out in a crowd through personal branding, Karl Smith was recently interviewed by Cape Argus - a daily South African newspaper.
Ask Karl about business networking and you’ll get a mile-wide grin, crackling energy, and a lively discussion of how networking can make every facet of career and business more engaging, fun and successful.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY NETWORKING IS SO IMPORTANT, ACROSS THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIES?
I think that most professionals and entrepreneurs understand at some level the wisdom of the adage, "It's not what you know; it's who you know and whether they know what you know". Indeed, building the right professional relationships is critical for business and career success. Why? It’s the best professional tool for people who want to get up to speed in a new job fast, get the job done, get behind organizational initiatives, get the most from conferences and meetings, get the business, get a job, get a promotion and get ahead.
And on a macro level a wider and deeper network of alliances can help companies across industries to be profitable. They can deploy their network to raise the company’s industry profile, lower its costs, boost its efficiency and differentiate itself. However they need to ask the big question: How do we make our entire portfolio of networks work for us, to give us advantage, given our strategy and the industry?
I'VE SEEN MANY PEOPLE NETWORK LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE BORN TO DO, AND OTHERS WHO RUN A MILE AT THE THOUGHT. ARE THERE ANY APPROACHES YOU COULD RECOMMEND FOR THE LATTER?
Firstly, let me point out that the value of “networking” is largely diminished by a “cocktail function image which is often characterized by the meeting, greeting and business cards ritual”. Being able to talk to anyone doesn’t mean you’re good at networking. Most people are not born networkers. Some people are natural networkers in a sense that they can build rapport quickly, always follow through on what they say and they know how to size up individuals and their motives instantly.
The good news is that the latter can be developed and mastered through training, attitude, practice and experience. I believe that a good starting point would be to redefine networking as 'developing deeper mutually beneficial relationships with people you already know' and use the term reaching out to mean 'meeting people that you don't yet know but would like to know'. Of course, ultimately, it doesn't really matter which words you use but, rather, that you make a distinction between meeting new people and staying connected with the people you already know.
IN YOUR KEYNOTES ON NETWORKING AND PERSONAL BRANDING, ARE AUDIENCES AT FIRST RESISTANT TO THE CONCEPTS? DO YOU SEE LIGHTBULB MOMENTS IN THEM WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER?
Some people jump on the brandwagon right away. Others are incredulous. Once people realize it is about authenticity and they understand that it is essential to personal and professional success, most embrace the concepts. I use a lot of real-world examples in my presentations – so I think people ‘get it.
WHAT ARE THE THREE TOP NO-NOS WHEN IT COMES TO ESTABLISHING A NEW RELATIONSHIP/BUSINESS LINK?
People can smell a selfish networker a mile away. Don’t go with your hand out. Listen to those you talk to. Strive to help those within your network. Add value first.
Don’t blah… blah… yada… yada… when you deliver your Verbal Business Card or your Personal Branding Statement - your response to the question, “What do you do?” Develop and practise a crisp, interesting and memorable response.
Don’t ever let people know you are unsuccessful. Success attracts success. No one wants to deal with people who need hand holding.
Extract from interview ends:
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