The Power of Networking

Networking isn't all about finding a job if you're jobless or landing the job of your dreams. It's about learning and sharing opportunities.

by Mickey Goodman

December 1, 2005

F rom the wacky to the professional, networking groups share ideas, common bonds, even business opportunities. But mining for business is not what networking is all about, says Rochele Hirsch, president/CEO of CommExpress, a videoconferencing and strategic services company, and president of the Atlanta Women's Network (AWN). "AWN is a power percolator building energy, influence and the feeling inside that a woman is more empowered because of her involvement," she says. "Getting business is one of the extras."

Like most groups, AWN (which recently celebrated its 25th birthday) is also an educational experience. "We have a group of top-notch, exciting women with a high level of energy," Hirsch continues. "Through my involvement I've had to answer questions about my own business that helped me shape it more clearly - not just my elevator speech - but ways to communicate what my competitive advantage is and how I support that."

The organization also offers women extraordinary opportunities for growth. AWN shows women they can have the American dream too, and it's not just about women in the workplace, explains Hirsch. "What women want for themselves is good for men, too. Before the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, the only career path for men was the "good ol' boy system," she says. "Today, a career path is based on merit."

Eenie, Meanie, Minie, Moe
When Connie Siewert and Cathy Horvath were searching for jobs, they discovered that finding the right networking groups could be daunting. "Some were valuable but others were a painful experience," Siewert laments. "They were more like work."

Out of desperation, the two invited a select group of "fun" people to gather at monthly parties. No one remembers who came up with the idea, but the name "Eclectic Ladies" stuck. Three years later, they're going strong. Doctors, lawyers and CPAs - even a judge - mingle happily with poets, writers, artists, interior designers and an assortment of clairvoyants, mediums, medical intuitives and astrologers. Membership is by invitation only.

"Organizing this group is like herding cats," says Siewert, a business development manager at FileNet. "We just go with the flow." That said, the group has structure, albeit, eclectic structure. Before each meeting, Siewert prepares a question and e-mails it to members. Questions range from, "If you were invited to a secret fairy tea party, what would you wear and what would you bring as a hostess gift?" to "When was the last time you colored outside the lines or slayed a dragon or had a major shift in thinking?" "The answers often reveal something about the person we didn't know before," she says.

Aside from great fun, the group has also produced solid business connections. But Siewert cautions that the business comes as a result of good friendships. "It stands to reason that since we enjoy one another's company we would also enjoy working together," she says.

Hooking Up
Seven years ago a group of freelancers lamented, "How come there is no networking group for people like us?" the answer was simple: form their own and once conceived, the Freelance Forum had no difficulty attracting other entrepreneurs.

"We're all creative people," explains Linda McCulloch, former president and owner of Design That Works Communications, Inc. "Freelance Forum has helped us become better business people."

During monthly meetings at the Creative Circus in Midtown, contract attorneys, accountants, ethicists, speech experts, tax accountants, insurance brokers, etc. enlighten the group. "Beyond networking, what I didn't expect was the business development aspect," says Laura Heck, president of Heck Design Group, a graphics design company. "This is a really sharp group and the Q&A session is always valuable by itself. People ask questions relevant to all of us. It's one thing to get business, it's another to hang onto it by not spending too much on taxes and services," she says.

McCulloch agrees. "I've been involved with lots of groups," she says. "This is the most functional. We all play well together." Another benefit is that members make themselves available to bounce around ideas and address problems like pricing - frequently a freelancer's nemesis - walking away without burning bridges and settling disputes with clients.

Another plus is that members draw from the group when they need to swell their staffs. "I only have three on the payroll," McCulloch says. "I hire writers, marketing professionals and others in the Forum. I feel confident they will be as dedicated to the end result as I am. I also teamed up to help other members on their projects."
 
Winning Ways
"Women tend to be great relationship builders," says Debby Stone, a professional life coach at Corner Office Coaching and InterVision Group, LLC, and president of ProWin. "We need to learn to capitalize on those inherent strengths." Instead of using the shotgun approach, she recommends honing in on a few targeted groups.

Stone's primary commitment is to ProWin, a group of 65 to 80 diverse women who attend quarterly luncheon meetings at Maggiano's Little Italy in Buckhead. "Our mission is to provide opportunities for relationship building, business education resulting in the empowerment of professional women," says Stone.

She credits Nance Joiner of PowerCore for being the glue that makes each meeting stick in the minds of participants. "When I joined ProWin, I realized not everyone understands that networking is about building relationships and adding value to others," Joiner says. "People appeared hungry for knowledge."

Joiner came up with a winning formula in TablePros - trained volunteers who facilitate questions that open up table discussion. Prior to the presentation, a TablePro at each table asks a previously assigned question related to the speaker's topic. Each guest is given around a minute and a half to respond. "Rather than just a few people monopolizing the conversation, the questions give everyone a chance to become involved and better acquainted," she says. "We ask questions that evoke personal response leading to relationship building."

Joiner's questions are varied, usually with multiple parts. When the presenter's topic was adding value to clients, Joiner asked: "What opportunity did your best client bring you? How did you help them solve it? What would they say about you now?" When the motivational presentation revolved around remarkable women, Joiner fashioned the following: "What is the most unique thing that has ever happened to you personally or professionally?"

"We got answers ranging from a mountain trek to a 111-mile bicycle ride to a woman who quit her corporate job to teach scuba diving," says Joiner. "It helped draw people to one another. We measure success in how long groups hang around once the meeting ends."

Since 80 percent of sales happen after the fifth to seventh contact (National Association for the Self-Employed), it stands to reason that becoming involved is the key to networking success. By volunteering as a TablePro at ProWin, for a committee at AWN or the Freelance Forum, or hooking up with Eclectic Ladies for a rollicking afternoon, networkers can grow professionally while forging new relationships. Frequently, those relationships open up doors for business opportunities.

---

Networking Tips

•   Be visible in three different types of associations.
•   Follow through five times with each person you meet.
•   Make joining an association a three-year commitment.
•   Have six conversations an hour at open networking events.
•   Don't just show up. Become active on a committee or Board.
•   Come early and stay late.
•   Ask questions.
•   Don't try to sell.

(from Atlanta Women's Network and www.executiveagent.com)