by Brad Closson

I have found that many people find the networking process a painful part of doing business.  They feel obligated to attend a certain amount of networking events, pass out a specified number of business cards and undergo a variety of un-named horrors that the dreaded one-on-ones sessions set in motion.

These contact generating activities become time vampires and bothersome tasks that we check off our to-do lists.  Though the connections that networking generate are critical for on-going growth, the actual participation in these networking activities can be painful.

I would like to present a different strategy.  Networking should be an experience, not a task.  For example, take a walk for your one-on-one, or hit some golf balls.  Have a beer out in the sun, or go to a new Tex-Mex cantina.  We all choose the same coffee houses and meeting spots, usually because of convenience.   We are thinking about getting the event over with, instead of taking the opportunity to create a memory.

You will shine.  You will stand out from all the other folks who are just going through the motions.  New contacts will remember a unique encounter, and you will create a shared experience, a wonderful connection point.

Your perspective will change.  If your perspective, the lens through which you view networking, changes from task completion to experience generation, the chances of making deeper connections are greatly increased.  Networking experiences will become something you look forward to and enjoy. 

You will alter your strategy.  Relationships are built with connection points.  Experiences are one of the most powerful connection points people can share.  As with most things in life, the quality of the experience is more important than the quantity of encounters.

When you look at every networking situation as an experience that you are in charge of, what will you do differently?