Member Article

Face to Face Networking - Don’t underestimate it

I recently read a short book that I downloaded on my Kindle called “Face to Face Networking” The book (it can hardly be called a book as was actually about 4 pages long) was actually nothing I didn’t already know. I don’t mean that to sound like I am some sort of oracle, just that even if you have never networked before the tips were very basic and I imagine just a teaser so you would actually buy the whole book (it was revealed at the end of the 4 pages that it was an excerpt – clever Amazon for tricking me!)

The book revealed how powerful face to face networking is, and I am inclined to agree. Face to face networking involves body language, eye contact, physical contact in a handshake or back pat, and verbal communication. As humans we are naturally social creatures, so this form of networking embodies all of our primal traits. We are creatures who seek interaction with each other, and although I’m no sociologist or psychologist, I can honestly say that my best relationships haven’t been cemented via Facebook or Twitter, but based on face to face meetings.

It’s similar to the recent memes floating around the internet based on the premise that true friendships are made when “we” were kids all playing outside together on our bikes and making camps, whereas children nowadays are more consumed with speaking to each other on headsets via Xbox , or mindlessly staring at iPads

As briefly mentioned above, it’s possible to network in other ways: LinkedIn, webinars, Skype , conference calls, even by email marketing. These are great tools for developing a brand and perhaps contacting those outside of your local area.

However, I don’t think you can beat that face to face interaction with someone. Positive verbal cues like a smile or a good handshake can tell you a lot about the person. The way they are dressed is another factor, along with their presence and body language. As a woman I am always keeping an eagle eye out for a good handbag, coat, purse, etc. Yes it sounds fluffy, but it’s got me into some great conversations with some extremely interesting and useful business contacts, so don’t judge me too harshly.

On the flip side, appearances can be very deceptive. In my days of recruitment I remember meeting a head teacher in the school reception. He was dressed in shabby jeans and was mopping the floor of the waiting area (I kid you not).

Being naturally chatty, I struck up conversation thinking he was the cleaner. We had a good laugh in a ten minute period, with me telling him about my job etc and what I thought the school could do to improve their general look. I left that day red-faced when I discovered the truth; he thought it was hilarious how I had thought he was the cleaner, and the next day he called me at the office to arrange a supply agreement with my company as he had said I was honest….

It’s never a bad thing If I find I meet people at networking events who I can’t see myself having a business connection with either. I enjoy talking to new faces; finding out about their background and businesses. Everyone has a story to tell and this is part of the appeal of networking ; you literally never know who you are going to meet (see above) and whether they are going to be of assistance in a professional or even personal capacity.

I know a lot of business professionals like to rely on electronic forms of communication possibly due to time constraints, but face to face networking is undergoing a revival with a plethora of networking events available to attend. The question is, are you potentially going to miss out on meeting your “head teacher”?

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Saul .