Reach the top of your own mountain!

As an active networker, I’m often asked to represent groups that are run and operated by someone else. “It’ll raise your profile!” is the usual reason given.  Although that’s not in question, have you ever wondered what it’ll be like to lead your own? Operating ‘third party’ groups is great and I would recommend it.  I’ve done so myself and what I learned in a short space of time has been invaluable. Running your own is an entirely different ball game! There’s no big ‘system’ to lean on and the ultimate responsibility is on you.

With a solid networking grounding, here’s a question:  Why not climb up and reach the top your own mountain?

My late father, a distinguished army officer in WW2, who fought alongside Lord Mountbatten and his troops to help liberate Malaya, (now Malaysia and Singapore), mentored me to lead. Until I started my own business, I hadn’t really considered that I was in fact more active than most in various leadership roles from a young boy, throughout my adolescence, (more in my LinkedIn profile), and into the business world. I’ll never forget his pride when I became Head Boy of a UK boarding school, despite my not being considered a top academic.  Heck, when I arrived at the school at nine years of age, I was the boy who had the “funny accent”, (the Couplands and extended family were – and our family ‘hub’ still is – based in Singapore).

The bar is constantly being raised. Expectations are higher. Effective leadership can be a great solution.

I have come to the realisation that, in order to make a real difference, great leadership has to be at the core of almost everything one does in the world of business. I have shared with those I coach in marketing that the bar was and is still being raised. People’s expectations in what a business person has to offer are higher than ever. Why?  Well, there are several reasons. The main ones are lack of time; ever increasing competition and what I often term as ‘noise’.

So what do I mean by noise?

The fact that we live in a busier, more crowded world is a given, so that’s not what I’m covering here. What I mean is I often hear fellow networkers claim that they’ll start something for themselves, however don’t really deliver – assuming they started in the first place!  Ideas are the easy part. Most can come up with great ideas so, to me, there’s nothing in the slightest bit exclusive about that.  Action and action with great results is an entirely different matter! Sure, there are and will be plenty of mistakes, disappointments and regrets along the way. Isn’t life about that anyway?

Being a leader should no longer be regarded as something one can aspire to be. In my view, it has never been so vital in the business world.

Ever presented in front of audiences that consist of your customers, your network and your competitors? I can tell you, it’s no mean feat, however seldom have I found such a rewarding experience. In fact, taking on the mantle such as this has so far been one of the best things we have done so far since I started my business. Great relationships and business that resulted exceeded our own expectations.

So whether it’s networking, a committee or your business, why not climb and be at the top of your own mountain? I’m not saying I’m there yet however, for me, one or two mountains aren’t enough, I’m climbing more and, although my legs can sometimes hurt like mad, there’s no way I’m turning back!

There are no “you have to’s!” here, I‘m deliberately being thought-provoking.

…and what about representing someone else? (I’m not referring to advocating here, which is of course a great thing to do). If you represent someone else, ever considered removing the billboard of him / her / their logo at events and representing yourself?  It could well be time to move on and, usually, the best time is when you feel you’re at your (or their?!) peak. Don’t just imagine being at the top of your own mountain, why not do something about it?  It’s called change and a change that should have an even better view!


Reach the top of your own mountain! It doesn't have to be the tallest

What I seldom see are people truly aspiring, taking focussed action at coming out of their comfort zone and at least trying to lead and carve their own way, representing themselves and leading – no matter how large or small the initiative.

Those that do get more respect through what they have achieved anyway and, even if they end up doing something else later, it’s most certainly not failure as they’ve climbed their own mountain, took a deep breath of satisfaction and took in the view.

 Now how exclusive is that?!

John Coupland
@networkerplus Social Media
www.networkerplus.net

Understanding the Benefits of Networking.

Get to know other businesses

Networking Effectiveness.

Recently there have been some great online discussions about whether networking yields the results that you want it to, offering some great insights as to what it means to different business people.

Here is our understanding of networking, what it means to us and how you can use it to your benefit.


Getting to Know Local Businesses
Networking is an incredible tool for generating business in our opinion and it is something which helps businesses understand the different business types that are out there. Also, you can learn a lot about how other businesses conduct themselves, along with what opportunities and challenges they each face on a month to month basis.

So we think there is a lot of added value in networking as you learn about the 'business' environment from each other, plus you see familiar faces time and time again and this allows individuals to open up and trust each other a little more.

Success in networking isn’t guaranteed though and it depends to which business type or industry type you are operating in, your attitude to networking and your ability to spot an opportunity. You never want to be too pushy and it is about the getting the balance right.

"It takes a combination of factors to get networking right; part Ambassador, part sales person and part psychologist. Networking is a skill which fine tunes itself over time, the most important things is to learn from the whole experience and continually quantify how the process is helping your business."

Developing Business Relationships

Be yourself

Networking enhances the process of relationship marketing and relationship building whereby each contact could possibly become a buyer of your products or services.

On the other hand these contacts can  become ‘sales ambassadors’ for your business if they enjoy your personality and what you stand for. Always bare this in mind, you never know where your business may come and it is amazing when you get a referral from a fellow networker.

With all this in mind though, you have to ask yourself the following questions about networking as your time and energy is important to you:

• Is the perception of what I’m presenting as good as it can be? 

This means 'YOU'. Your delivery, what you wear, your business cards, your body language etc. Ask a friend/ business acquaintance for an honest appraisal of your perception and how it could be improved. This is a great exercise and one that will help you immensely.

• Is there an opportunity to follow up on this contact? 

Should you add them to your address book, send a full introductory email, a proposal, suggest a face to face meeting - or do nothing at all? Only you can answer this one. Think about any buying signals in a conversation, what will this contact mean to you? The most important thing is to leave a new introduction with a pleasant feeling, this way everything is left positive.

Engage and learn

• Is this the right networking event for you? 

There are many different networking events out there and you have to look at the positives and negatives of each event. Do you feel comfortable, what are the costs, do you like the format, does it have potential ?

Some people don’t network and they can be incredibly successful. There could be many reasons for this.

Some people don’t network and have very little business.

We personally generate about 50% of business through 'business networking' then about 50% through referrals. Networking sits very prominently within our marketing plan. 

"Networking helps with the development of an individual too and enhances ones ability to communicate. Success in networking takes time, so regular attendance, NOT selling to others directly, but following up on conversations."

 We hope that this article has been  of use and you can pick up a few pointers which will help you improve your networking. Please remember, networking is just one activity within a whole spectrum of sales and marketing activities.

For a list of other networking events to try, please refer to this list.