I'm often asked: "How much networking should I be doing?" Of course the answer to this question like some many others is. It depends. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that networking doesn't just happen in networking meetings. However, when I'm asked this question the person asking is typically referring to the number of meetings they should attend.

I'm going to outline a couple of different strategies that I've used in the past (before I started networking for a living). Each person is going to be different. The biggest difference is probably going to be how much time is available. If you're just starting out and don't have many clients you're probably going to have a lot more time. More than someone who is running an established business that spends a lot of time taking care of their existing clients. In both cases networking is important, it's just different.

For my primary example I'm going to assume that you're fairly established in your business or profession and are moderately busy. I'm guessing this is the average reader of this blog. You're building your business and things are going well, but you can always use a few more sales.
In this situation I recommend a leveraged networking strategy consisting of approximately 2 meetings each week. The first meeting we'll call your core network. This will be a weekly networking event where you really have an opportunity to build some very solid relationships. It's hard not to build very good relationships with a group of people that you see on a weekly basis. The ideal size of this group will vary, and shouldn't consist of more than 50 – 60 members. More than that and you'll have a hard time developing really strong relationships. I'll talk more in a future post about networking expectations. Generally speaking expect this core relationships development process to take at least 6 months to 1 year.

There are a lot of opportunities for these kinds of groups around town. Austin Executive Association, Austin Business Referrals, BNI chapters, CEO Network, National Business Exchange (NBX ), South Austin Networking Lunch, The Business Connection (TBC), etc. All of which can be found on the NetworkInAustin.com Calendar

For your second weekly meeting I suggest you get involved in a variety of organizations that typically get together just once a month. This would include groups like: Chambers of Commerce, industry associations, Breakfast Club Network, Independent Business Associations, Non-profit groups, etc. The idea here is to get some depth and to meet folks you wouldn't ordinarily meet.

Here's where the leverage comes in. In order to get referrals you've got to give referrals. The opportunity in this model is providing lots of referrals for your core network. When you're out meeting new people each week at the Chamber of Commerce or association meetings be thinking of your core network. Who in these organizations could use their services? Refer, refer, refer. If you follow this model consistently over a period of time I promise you'll be surprised at the results.

You'll probably be able to develop relationships with several hundred people over the course of a year or so. A network of people who you've helped and who will be looking for ways to return the favor. We call this the law of reciprocity.

If you're a more seasoned networker with a more substantial number of relationships you can probably get by with fewer traditional networking meetings. Your core network will consist of those that you already have ongoing relationships with. In this case I would suggest that you work more on cultivating these relationships rather than developing new ones. Focus on the top 10-20% of your relationships and make them stronger. Now I'm not saying you shouldn't work on meeting more people. It's important that you get out at least a couple times each month to establish new relationships, and look for business opportunities for yourself and your core network. What I'm suggesting is that you've already spent a lot of time cultivating your existing relationships. Don't drop the ball now. Work on making those connections stronger.

Ultimately the decision is yours. What benefit do you expect from networking? How much time can you devote to working towards that benefit? Take some time to answer these questions and develop your own networking strategy. When you're done I hope you'll tell me about it. I'd love to share what you're doing with the other readers of this blog. As always I love hearing from you. E-mail me your thoughts: scott (at) networkinaustin.com

Happy networking!

Scott Ingram
NetworkInAustin.com