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Chapter 1

NETWORKING
AND THE
INTERNET AGE

Have you tried networking and find it takes up too much of your time? Are you a natural-born introvert who finds networking a little threatening and maybe even disingenuous at times? If so, this book might become your way to network effectively and still be true to your unique style by blending an appropriate use of the internet with personal involvement. The principles and illustrations you will encounter focus on being genuine, developing trust, and becoming an even better listener than you already are.

Business-centered Networking

Business-centered networking is about making meaningful, lasting connections that lead to one-to-one relationships. On its surface, it would seem that the internet, as a modern communications tool, should be the right medium at the right place and the right time. The author aims to convince you that the internet, while useful in certain instances we will explore together, can be limiting in a business-centered networking environment. We will look at how using the internet helps and hinders your networking efforts—and, most importantly, how you can leverage the internet and its strengths to make face-to-face networking more effective.

Business-centered networking is a proactively social process, whereas the internet’s power (in its current stage of evolution) is to be an informative, albeit passive, communications tool. Follow this: You send a message to a friend or acquaintance. Due to the less personal nature of e-mail communication (versus face-to-face contact), there may be no advocacy for you. The recipients may or may not take an action. If they forward your message to someone else, it’s one of many messages and could languish, drop off the recipient’s radar screen and never be acted upon. Your initial e-mail doesn’t proactively advocate for you so you have at least a 50-50 chance that nothing will happen that helps you reach your objective—unless you have the presence of mind and the skills to carefully craft an action plan for your e-mail’s recipients.

Among the popular and emerging social networks for business people are LinkedIn, ecademy, ryze, viadeo, xing, amodus, bluechipexpert, brightcircles, knooects, gobignetwork, hooversconnect, network2connect, networkingfor professionals, and most recently brazencareerist. LinkedIn has more than 20 million members and therefore is likely to be around for some time, while others emerge and then disappear even as this book goes to print.

To some degree, these websites are all social media in that they bring diverse people together under some common principle—like LinkedIn, for example. This website is organized around the principle of six degrees of separation. That is, by linking together people you know and that others know across a broad range of industries and disciplines, one can help another, if so inclined: If you know the director of health care equipment purchasing at GE, you could possibly introduce a LinkedIn colleague to that individual so they can do business together.

Although the progression of this scenario sounds good, I submit that it is, in many cases, unlikely to happen. In most situations, when you introduce a business acquaintance to another business person, you are indirectly vouching for their character, trustworthiness, and competence. If the introduction outcome is less than satisfying, you are likely to be blamed in terms of your judgment, character insight and, in the extreme, motive. None of us can afford the risk of this kind of negative exposure to our reputations. So, in all likelihood, most LinkedIn members (including myself) avoid this potential risk.

This is not to say that LinkedIn and other websites of this nature don’t have a value. Their value is to provide you with a “personal” web page that accurately highlights your experience, skills, abilities and interests—for everyone to see. We all need validation, and LinkedIn provides a convenient place to display your credentials and important accomplishments. A good way to use your page is to refer people to your LinkedIn location so they can see what you say about yourself and what you represent. LinkedIn also offers a section for third-party endorsements, which is fine. But potential viewers certainly understand that “friends” would most certainly provide glowing endorsements, so most people are likely to be skeptical of the source. Understanding the limitations of “social/business-oriented websites,” then, you should consider using them as a valid resource when they meet your needs. On pages 6 and 7 are the most active business-networking websites, followed by how you might want to consider positioning yourself for maximum impact.

It is useful to note that there’s a newly emerging form of networking taking place on an intranet-style cloud. This involves company-sponsored and company-dedicated, cloud-based networking primarily for the use of field sales employees. One of the fastest-growing companies providing software for intra-company networking is called “Salesforce.com.” Their software is designed to help field sales people do their jobs better by networking together for leads, contacts, experience and insight. Salesforce.com also offers a service called “Chatter”—a real-time collaboration platform for users.

As business-centered networking sites spring up every day, consult Google, using “business networking web sites” to uncover the most recent ones, and consider the following web sites that track various aspects of business networking activities: sitepoint.com/social-networking-sites-for-business/and insidecrm.com for more insight.

Now that we have had the opportunity to see how you might want to leverage the internet and its inherent power to satisfy your needs, let’s turn our attention to fine-tuning your networking efforts to help ensure that you have the right connections and opportunities to reach your goals.

Expanding on your use of the internet to provide networking power for you, you might consider using LinkedIn or other business-centered websites to narrow down global internet contacts to local people whom you can correspond with for common interests and agree to meet face-to-face. Remember, networking—especially business-centered networking—is about making connections and lasting relationships. You can gain an introduction to another person on-line, but it takes face-to-face contact to go beyond the status of acquaintance.

Business-Centered Networking Websites

Site	Position For Impact
ecadamy ecadamy.com	For entrepreneurs, good for seeking business connections outside US. Think carefully about how to position your business as vibrant, responsive and useful to a broad audience. Answer “What’s in it for me?” to appeal to fellow entrepreneurs. Helpful to business consultants. US-based activities not well developed yet.
Ryze ryze.com	With your own web page, plan carefully how to present a compelling picture of what you do and why it is important. Use as a way to reach other members. Join industry groups and exchange ideas, make networking connections.
Viadeo viadeo.com	Your success rests on building your own network and allowing it to spread. Pick network invitees carefully so you get maximum leverage. Always follow up with connections who might introduce you by offering help for them. As appropriate, offer your help to them first.
XING xing.com	Offer to help contacts you meet first. Then ask for their help and follow up to keep them informed of your progress.
Blue Chip Exec bluechipexec.com	Membership is sponsored by current members.
Konnects konnects.com	N/A
Network2Connect Networktoconnect.com	Position your company/service to set up your expertise. Aim to attract fellow networkers looking for your advice and counsel, etc. Use contacts and relationships you build to network among a broader audience.
Networking for Professionals Networkingforprofessionals.com	A mostly social-business network. Attend events to build relationships leading to networking interactions.
Brazen Careerist brazencareerist.com	Plan carefully, how you would sell yourself to important recruiters in five-minute online sessions. Meet potential networking partners through online discussion. Join events and learn as you develop and find your career and networking focus.