Business Lessons Learned From Professional Networking

You don't make dozens of business connections a week without learning a few things about how to create productive interactions. As a professional networker, I spend hours talking with company heads, technical and artistic talent, and media sorts.

Like most of us, I keep re-learning some basics, but it's the surprises that I experience that teach the most about "opening doors" and keeping them open.

Here's a few of those lessons:

--In the games industry, there are "big dog" publishers -- these are considered the untouchables. People want to do business with them, recruit them to their cities, get hired by them, and promote their ideas to them. One would have a perception that a company like that wouldn't be very welcoming to networking.

SURPRISE Every industry has "big dogs," but not all bite.

I not only made contact with the business developer for one, but he said their company is very open to new ideas and talking to new people. He's now a member of my network and I've already created introductions to him and through him.

Never assume someone wouldn't be interested in connection. The answer is always "no" unless you ask.

--Some industries are constantly churning so that the CEO of a company you spoke with six months ago could now be working business development for the parent company that bought them out three months ago. If you didn't get anywhere with them the first "go round," you might assume that you never will.

SURPRISE Conditions change as roles change. When I introduced two CEOs six months ago, they had a good conversation, but no business was conducted. Re-introduction proved more fruitful after one had taken on a different role at a new company and the other had changed a role due to company partnership.

If your intuition tells you that a particular contact is of value and you have good interaction with them, don't create expectations around when the value will surface. Trust your "radar" and keep building the relationship.

--Have you ever had someone make an "uninformed" assumption about who you are? As a former Chamber of Commerce exec, I coached ethical business practices and pride myself on creating mutual value through relationship-development. While I might be slightly bold in my approach, I'm never pushy - and, if I'm knocking on your door, there's a reason - and you'd be smart to respond. While it's highly unusual for me to encounter a "closed door," it did happen once when I was actually requesting someone to introduce me to someone else. There's a bit of a story here, but let's just say that I quickly made the assumption that my goal was permanently thwarted. Wouldn't you?

SURPRISE Sometimes it's just good sense to walk away from a closed door, but sometimes...it's better to get the record straight. In the case of this closed door, a few e-mails swapped, then a phone call, and the guy and I ended up conducting business. Who knew!

Keep professionalism in mind and know where your lines are drawn regarding communication. Your reputation is important, and while you won't win everyone over, the ones worth winning will respond.

--How completely tied to assumptions are we human beings? We believe what we see. We check out someone's profile or bio for the person's current occupation, often missing important information. I was reviewing a Linkedin profile on a talent agent, and completely missed that the guy actually helped to build a games company a few years earlier that was snatched up by one of those aforementioned "big dogs."

SURPRISE It's what we don't see that can change an entire conversation, providing the best opportunity for business. When I met Robert Brown at Pragmatic Solutions, I initially thought what a great introduction he would be to a game publisher client. It wasn't until we talked that I realized he had a special interest in educational/e-learning applications. That one discovery prompted additional introductions to an interactive media company with a globally awarded training game and an e-learning corporation that's done work with NASA.

Misconceptions and Underestimations will ruin your business. Don't let them. Keep learning from surprises...and remember...people's needs are filled through other people. The better you are at networking, the better your business will be.

If you have networking questions, send them on.

If you are looking for a particular type of resource, I might have it (or the person) for you.

E-mail me mary@marykurek.com