Are You Taking Good Care of Your Network?

The successful networkers I know, the ones receiving tons of referrals
and feeling truly happy about themselves,
continually put the other person's needs ahead of their own.
 
Bob Burg
 

by Skip Cohen

I've written a lot over the years about the care and feeding of your network. Just like a house plant that needs water and sunlight, your network needs interaction, support, and as sappy as it might sound, a whole lot of love. And the pandemic has made it even more important to stay in touch. 

The advantage of building a great network in the first place is all about support - not just for you, but as a two-way street, both giving and receiving. It's about having resources to draw from when you need help and also being there to lend your expertise to people in your network.

Unfortunately, so often, we'll go to chase down somebody and have obsolete contact information or be embarrassed to reach out when we haven't talked to the person in a year, since the last convention, first meeting, etc. Again with the pandemic, there's been virtually no live contact for most of us for over a year!
 
Here are some things to consider to help maintain a healthy network:

• Identify twenty people in your network who you really can't live without. This isn't just about respect and friendship, but people with skill sets that compliment your own. These are the twenty rockstars you want to be able to count on. Make it a point to keep in touch with them. Just start at the top of the list and work your way down, hitting each of them once a month. Note: This doesn't have to be a big deal and can be as simple as just hitting the "Like" button and making a comment about something they've shared on social media. 
• Make sure all your contact information is up to date for the twenty-person core of your network. And when that's done, move out to the next fifty people.
• A great network goes beyond friends and associates. Make sure you have contact information for the key staff at the vendors whose products/services you use. In your network you should have at least one person representing every piece of gear and software you use - retailers, distributors, sales reps, your lab, accountant, attorney - they ALL play a role.
  
• Keep in touch via email. It's so easy to just drop a one-liner and keep in touch.
• Pick up the phone! For many of us, the phone has become the only "live" contact we really have had with friends and associates over the last year. Just be sensitive to friends being buried in work when you call, and don't be offended if you just happen to catch them at a bad time.
• Be active in social medial! Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are terrific for keeping in touch! Check your friends and followers and go off in search of those people in your network.
• Track birthdays. Checking Facebook birthdays and anniversaries is my first stop EVERY day.
• Online meetings and get-togethers: Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime, just to name a few online venues, are perfect for everything from keeping in touch with friends to online meetings and presentations. I'm still amazed at the number of people who don't know what they're doing with any of these programs.
• A quick tip for online meetings: Always use ear buds or headphones - they cut back on the feedback. And learn to mute your microphone when in a group meeting.
  
• Websites and Blogs: Make it a point to follow the work of people in your network. It's not that hard to do if you put aside time each day. It's a great break from the stress of deadlines and projects. Spend a few minutes looking at images a friend in your network has recently shared and follow their blog.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: I consider myself the biggest "lunch slut" in the industry, and conventions, conferences, and workshops will all come back. So, while we're not out of the pandemic yet, we're getting closer every day. Think about your next convention! Plan to take time with people in your network over any meal in the day. NEVER eat alone! Being able to catch up to friends and associates over a meal is a great way to build your network and expand your knowledge of each other's expertise.
• Be generous with your time. When somebody asks for help in your network, do the best you can and give them as much time as they need whenever possible.

Everyone knows the expression, "having a green thumb." For years I referred to my skill set with house plants as "having poison thumb." I didn't give them the attention they needed, and they always died. Well, maintaining a great network is no different.

​What you get out of it will be directly related to the effort you put into keeping it healthy. ​