Business Networking: Successful People Who Know How Networks Can Work For You

Why have I attended over 2,000 networking events in the last seven years? Because I know it works. It brings me the leads, referrals, contacts, visibility and branding that I want for me and my business. The people I network with also know that it works; they are willing to "suit up and show up" as one of them puts it. What about you? Are you still unsure about the benefits? Do you wonder if it is beneficial or if networking is a waste of time? If you don't want to take my word on the power of networking, here are the opinions of a couple people you might have heard of.

Muhammad Ali believes in the power of networking and relationships almost as much as he believed in the power of his own two hands. He told Harvey Mackay in "Dig Your Well Before Your Thirsty" that he learned how to build a network of promoters and endorsers early in his career. He also learned that

    "Building a network is about paying attention to what people want."

People want athletes who are the greatest and who entertain them. Ali certainly gave us that and it all came from his ability and belief in networking.

Erma Bombeck may have wondered if life was a bowl of cherries, why was she always in the pits, but she didn't wonder how networking made her career. Early in her humorous writing career, she knew that the big newspaper in her city was run by the proverbial "good ol' boys network." How to break in? They probably weren't fans of her housewife humor. But their wives were. So she went to the small weekly paper in the neighborhood where the editors lived and got the column in front of their wives, who of course loved her. They convinced their husbands to run the column.

    "The only people who are lucky building their networks are the ones who work day and night making their networks succeed."

Erma knew that she couldn't reach her target market, but she knew that she could reach the influencers within that network.

If you are looking for proof that networking is an important tool for success, think of these very different people and how it worked for them. An athlete in an industry where you don't think of connections except for glove to face. And a housewife whom millions of women identified with. If you ever enjoyed the thrills of watching Ali or laughed out loud at Erma, remember that they believed in the power of networking.

Beth Bridges has attended over 2,000 networking events in the last 7 years as the Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer of a large west coast chamber of commerce. She remembers how much her grandmother enjoyed Erma Bombeck, which is interesting because Grandma was such a good networker herself.