From in-person events to social media, to Linkedin, the people we meet and the relationships we cultivate can make or break our professional endeavours. But it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that numbers are all that matters. In fact, strategic networking is key and we should focus on forming and nurturing quality connections.
For many businesses, success depends on connections. Numbers seem to offer a clear, measurable, statistic of just how connected we are. Instinctively, we think that more is better: more likes on our social media posts, more followers on our profile, more names in our CRM. But if the likes are all from bots, the followers are friends and family members, and the names in the database never turn into real prospects, let alone clients, this isn’t going to help our business succeed.
Attending numerous networking events and collecting huge numbers of connections can fool us into thinking we’re doing something useful and creating a foundation for success. But it can also create unnecessary work as we spend time on dead-end events and pointless relationships.
How often do you attend a business event and find that the majority of other people there are not carrying business cards? Do you actually have cards yourself? Or do you use QR codes or “instant connection” apps? While there are clear environmental reasons to hand out fewer business cards, the problem with instant digital connections is that they are often indiscriminate.
Mutually enriching relationships that offer value to both parties are instrumental to business success.
While, in the past, we might have gone back to the office after an event and hand-picked three or four people to deliberately send connection requests or follow-up emails to, now we are bombarded with LinkedIn invitations while we’re still sitting in Zoom events, or press-ganged into connecting with everyone in the room at physical events. In an era where connections are made with a click rather than a handshake, we risk our networks growing exponentially.
Simply put, not every connection holds the same value or relevance to our professional objectives. We need to be more discerning. This is not to say that we should expect every connection to turn into a client: networking is about far more than finding potential prospects. The aim should be to expand our network with individuals whose values and aspirations align with ours. Doing this, we’ll not just be creating mutually beneficial relationships, but also avoid wasting our time and resources.
We’ve all seen the people who turn up at events simply to sell their own products or services. Their opening gambit may be, “What do you do?”, but they can’t wait for you to finish speaking so they can tell you about their own offer and hand over a business card or thrust a QR code in your face.
Then there are those who say that the aim is to leverage the networks of everyone else in the room. Often these people expect you to immediately introduce them to your own clients and pass on recommendations the moment you meet.
But most of us have a core group of connections that we try to cultivate and nurture. We maintain regular – though not always frequent – contact and add value by passing on relevant information and by making relevant introductions. This is usually a two-way relationship, where we each engage with and champion the other’s business as and when appropriate.
Not every connection will turn into a client.
These mutually enriching relationships that offer value to both parties are instrumental to business success. But if we are to provide the value that this type of connection warrants while still having time to actually get some work done, there is a limit to how many people we can admit to this level of intimacy and trust.
While there’s no hard and fast rule about how many people you should have in your network, it may be worth mentioning Dunbar’s number. This concept, the brainchild of anthropologist Robin Dunbar, posits a limit to the number of meaningful relationships any one person can maintain. While there is no agreement on an actual number, it’s typically estimated to be around 150.
Applying this principle to our professional lives probably suggests that most of us should take a long hard look at our LinkedIn profiles! Most of us have networks in the thousands. But when was the last time we actually had a meaningful interaction with most of those connections?
Recently one of my contacts told me, “I constantly cull my LinkedIn network. At one point I was near 7,000 connections, I am now down to just over 2,000 and still culling.” This contact is someone I rarely see, but we keep in touch via messages and coincide at networking events maybe once or twice a year. He knows I will speak well of his business and I trust him to do the same for Tantamount if he comes across someone who needs our services.
The problem with instant digital connections is that they are indiscriminate.
In the same way that you prune a plant to help it grow healthy and strong, or cull a herd of animals to remove the weakest and ensure there is enough food for the rest, it’s worth stepping back and making an objective evaluation of your network.
Disconnecting from those who don’t engage with, or contribute meaningfully to, your business, or who no longer inspire you or align with your current professional values and aims, is a clear strategic move. Doing so strengthens the remaining network and allows you to dedicate more time and resources to nurturing the relationships that offer reciprocal value and potential for collaboration.
This is not to say that you should cut out all old connections just because your paths don’t cross anymore. I’ll never forget some of the people I worked for and with years ago: we used to have close relationships and I like to know that they’re still on my radar. I could probably still turn to them if I needed advice or support in specific areas, but we may not have been in contact for 20 years and I don’t kid myself that they are part of my inner circle.
Attending numerous networking events and collecting huge numbers of connections can fool us into thinking we’re doing something useful.
There’s a difference, though, between those old connections and the people I met for two minutes at a single networking event and have never seen again. They haven’t attempted to get in touch since then – except, perhaps to try and sell me something. These are the deadwood connections that need to be pruned to leave room to make sense of the network and make it work for everyone.
So, when was the last time you checked in on your connections? If it’s been years since you met, spoke, or interacted in any way, should they still be part of your network? Or should you be sending out notes to see what’s going on in their lives and businesses, and to remind them of who you are and what you’re doing? This shouldn’t be an attempt to sell them something, but a genuine enquiry to see what’s happening and whether you can still add value to each other’s networks.
The deliberate curation of our professional circle compels us to prioritise depth over breadth and enhances the overall quality and impact of our networking efforts. It encourages us to invest in relationships where mutual benefit and genuine connection are at the forefront, rather than spreading ourselves too thinly across a vast but shallow network.
At Tantamount, we have a strong network of business connections and work with associates when needed. We’d love to talk to you about your brand, your messaging, and about any of your business communications and marketing needs. If we can’t help, we probably know someone who can! Why not mail us on hello@tantamount.com or give us a call on 0798 661 3437 and let’s have a chat?