Someone sent me an email regarding my Meet, Greet, Grip, & Grin post the other day. Her email gently poked at my purpose for networking.

Apparently when this person attends a networking event she collects at least ten new business cards and then follow up by sending a “nice to meet you” card to each person.  She claimed “thousands” of people were in her contact list.

 ”Okay,” I thought, “so how many of these people do you really know?”  She may make contacts, but does she make connections?

I got to thinking about this, did some searching, and came across  David Helfand at infirmation.com who says,

Networking is simply the development of mutually beneficial relationships. The key word here is mutually. Both you and your contacts will benefit from your networking efforts.

Okay, that’s what networking is.  Then Helfand says:

The purpose of networking is the exchange of information, advice, and referrals.

For the record, Helfand is talking about networking while looking for work, but I like his definitions. They basically say:

If I want advice, referrals, or to exchange information, I should develop mutually beneficial relationships.

To me, collecting a business card and sending a note isn’t developing a mutually beneficial relationship. When I talk w/ someone and get to know them (as I described in my previous post), I’m developing the relationship.

But then the lightening struck.  One follow up card wouldn’t do it, but regular, repeated cards would.  Lots of businesses do that.  But, for me, it would have to be genuine and done in the right tone, not schlocky.  And then I could see how one could make a contact and sufficiently develop a connection. 

Okay . . .  If I’m even thinking about changing my mind on this,  I’d have to find a cost-effective, time-efficient way to do it.  I can’t spend a whole day stuffing envelopes.  Let’s go networkers — fill me in.

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Filed in Business, Opinion, Motivation, Management