Take it from an old grizzly who’s had his share of networking adventures. I’m here to share my vast experience, because the more you learn from everyone else’s mistakes, the fewer you have to make yourself.
Here’s my list of the top faux pas:
1. Don’t assume the credentials are the power. The key to a sale is knowing who’s got the hammer. No organizational chart can tell you who the real decision-maker is. The people who are left after all the corporate reorganizations are exercising greater power than ever before. The most important decision-maker often can be found lurking behind the most inconsequential or incongruent title.
2. Don’t confuse visibility with credibility. Don’t join any organization, particularly a religious organization, solely to advance your own interests. Your motives will be painfully obvious.
3. Don’t be a schnorrer. That’s Yiddish for people who constantly take a little bit more than they’re entitled to. Keep a running balance in your mind of what you have asked for and what you’ve delivered, and don’t overdraw your account.
4. Don’t say “no” for the other person. Don’t presume that someone within reach of your network would automatically say “no.” Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you really need it. I suppose if I were asked whether it’s better to err on the side of caution, I’d say, if the stakes are high, I’d risk the “begging” factor and go for it. The worst they can say is still “no,” but at least you didn’t say it for them.
5. Dance with the one who brought you. When someone in your network comes through, don’t be a stiff. Remember, these people didn’t have to extend themselves for you. And here’s a good tip: Be sure to thank the person at the top. No one ever does, because they think he or she hears all day long what a super job their company is doing. Do it, and you’ll be remembered.
6. Don’t mistake the company’s network for your network. If you’re going to keep your job, your network has to be as good as or better than your own company’s. You need:
•Support and sponsorship in other departments besides your own, so that you’re able to jump to another department if yours is downsized or jettisoned;
•Lines of communication that tell you what’s happening in other parts of the company; and
•A backup strategy in case you are let go, i.e., a career network outside the company including associations and professional groups. Think your company is going to provide you with this stuff? No way.
7. Don’t be slow to answer the call. There’s a call on your voice mail. You know that it’s a request for help, and that it will take some time and trouble on your part. Don’t ignore it, even if you never expect to have your effort repaid. Maybe no good deed goes unpunished, but no bad one goes unreported.
8. It probably isn’t just your network that’s aging; it’s you. Unless you make a genuine effort to keep updating your technical skills and knowledge, your network is shrinking.
9. Don’t underestimate the value of the personal touch. Small businesses that survive and prosper know how to network with their customers and prospects by emphasizing a level of personal service and attention that big businesses can’t. If you know who your customers are, then you’ll also know when some of them stop coming by. It’s worth some expense to keep an old customer because it costs so much more to get a new one.
10. If you don’t know, ask. Even if you do know, ask. Many small businesses are afraid to ask questions. The big guys are constantly trying to stay abreast of customer concerns with focus groups and sophisticated monitoring techniques. Draft a questionnaire and put it where customers can pick it up. Suppliers are also a great source of information. You are their customer, so they have a vested interest in your success. You’d be surprised at the wealth of information they have, if you just tap it.
Mackay’s Moral: The wise person isn’t the one who makes the fewest mistakes. It’s the one who learns the most from them.
Harvey Mackay is author of The New York Times best seller “Pushing the Envelope.” He can be reached through his Web site, www.mackay.com, or at Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolis, MN 55414.
