SHOWING UP

There’s no substitute for “showing up.”   In order to be effective doing face-to-face networking, you’ve got to attend meetings and functions, and then follow up.  In addition to showing up you need to attend meetings on a consistent basis.  Others get familiar with you and get to know you better when you do that.  Since I’m a member of several groups I’ve had the occasion to notice some people are more VISIBLE than others.  It could be the quality of their personality, their charisma or their likeability.  Whatever the case, some members are more memorable than others.  One primary reason is consistency of attendance.  Punctuality and staying around until the end of the meeting are also important.   Arrive early so you can greet everyone who attends the meeting.  The more time  people see you and experience your presence, the better it is for your networking success.  I constantly hear people say they should guest more and attend more consistently, but it’s the action of doing so that matters.  It is really a combination of attendance and personality, in addition to the clarity of your statements, that lead to being memorable, and ultimately to increased referrals and commerce.

The goal is to establish a consistent and positive visibility that leaves an enduring imprint on others.  You want to become memorable in a positive way.  Consistency is vital.  If you don’t show up consistently and your competitors do, then they will be remembered more than you.  The more people see you, interact with you, like you, and know what you do, the more chance you’ll get referrals or do some kind of business.  Visibility is crucial to success in networking.

Someone once said to me, after seeing me at many networking meetings over a number of years, “You really don’t need to come to meetings anymore because everyone already knows you and what you do.”  I was taken aback, then commented that I enjoyed the camaraderie and I would soon be forgotten if I didn’t continue to attend on a regular basis.  Showing up is also a tangible sign of my commitment to others and to the process.

An apt example of the opposite is seen in networking groups where some people don’t actually show up, but send in their business card so they can be included in troikas.  It’s not the same as actually attending, and some regular attendees resent the fact that those people are not showing up but still want the benefits of attending.  Taking such shortcuts may be excusable in emergencies, but as a routine practice, it’s soon seen as an aspect of one’s character and lower level of commitment.

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Networking Tip – Attend your networking group regularly; show up early and stay late and you will become a nexus and the core of the nucleus.