I've been reading a lot of debate lately about wether quality or quantity is more important in successful networking. I strongly believe that quality is far more important than quantity.

Let's explore an example. Would you prefer a network of 1,000 people who you've met once or twice and might remember your name. Or, would you prefer a network of 25 people who would consider you their friend? Personally I'd take the 25 people. They'd be much more likely to actively help me.

Why?

It's really about top of mind awareness. The first 1,000 people are unlikely to be thinking about you unless someone mentioned your name or something very specific about what you do that would trigger them to think about you. Your 25 close friends are much more likely to think about you without needing such a specific trigger.

Networking isn't just about attending networking events, collecting business cards and following up. It's also about building better and stronger relationships. You don't even need to go to business events to do this. You can build better relationships with your customers. Show them that you really care about them and their needs, beyond the services that you provide. Strengthen the relationships with your vendors. Who provides you with products and services who has a vested interest in your success?

There's also the 90/10 rule that says that 90% of your revenue will come from your top 10% of customers. This applies to relationships as well.

Think about who you already know that fits in this top 10 or 20 percent. Strive to build a better more personal relationships with these people. You can't have a great relationships with everyone, it's just not possible. Focus on those that are most important. That's real networking.

Happy networking!

Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com