In my opinion, networking as its been practiced forever really works, but this recent craze towards networking events where folks spit out elevator pitches and take pride in how many cards they collect is a joke.

To me, networking means actively reaching out and making connections with individuals, not trading business cards. Good networking is doing favors, sharing contacts, offering expertise, being a friend, with the idea that these connections might return the favor to you some day. I've made livelong friends, business connections, employees, employers, clients and every other kind of human connection through genunie networking. I've never seen the value to leaving a meeting with a pocket full of business cards, and no real sense of the people behind the cards.

Hi Janet,

I like what you say about doing favors, sharing contacts, etc. Some call that "bank balance" networking---making a deposit before you make a withdrawal.

Agree with Janet. There is more value in leaving an event with 2 cards of people I spoke to for 10+ minutes vs. a whole stack. It's not a raffle (drop a card in the fishbowl)!

Hi Gordon,

Well let me say this I really think it is upto each person if it works or not. As an on and off again member of amcham American Austria chamber of commerce; I feel it can work but only if it is related to your industry sector. Networking is not a one day or evening event it is on going it also needs to spark interest in both parties. If theres no interest (which has alot to do with personality) networking will never work. Also most networking get togethers are with non-decision makers of companies, networkers must fined the decision makers networking group and thats where the action is. I fined that if you bypass the general topic and talk about gulf or sports in general then about business you have established a general bond. This is what and how it makes it work.

just look at the site your on !!!!!

your networking!

My take on networking is like the classical economist answer, i.e., "it depends". I am not a smoozer, but have found most of my network contacts to be helpful (to my objectives) and some to be indifferent. Regardless of how much networking helps one (attain their objectives), it's cost:benefit is still positive, given its low investment cost.

I think that it is necessary to define what we mean by networking because it is used differently in different fields. In my primary field of endeavor, conferences have been great places to find a new position but not a good way to spread the reach of a business. I also obtained a fair proportion of my public speaking engagements by networking at national conferences and using my book as a business card.

When my goal was to expand my day to day business, I found that circularizing targeted audiences was far more effective. Thta was in the days before the spread of internet which I would use extensively today to network for all purposes.

My present business is apartment rentals. My wife gets many of our tenants through her contacts at her health club. I got my first tenant at the building when someone walked in from the street inquiring if anyone was renting condos. I grabbed her from the front desk before anyone could say a word to her.

Networking also worked when I wanted to find a literary agent. I called friends who had publsihed and within a day, I had a reference that came through.

Overall, I find that face-to-face contacts have positive value if you can sell yourself when you meet strangers. Some people tense up when they are in such situations. For them, better to use a surrogate than make things worse by driving people away. Although I am terminally shy in my personal life, when it comes to business, I was always able to "play the role" necessary to make connections with others. My worst contact form is the phone. I seem to lose confidence when Ican't see the person to whom I am speaking. This even applies when I am talking to family. Fprtunately, I don't have to network with them. I can always leave a note on the fridge!

I believe it's Business Network International that has a slogan stating "Givers Gain". That's my experience in Networking - you get out of it what you put in (and often more).