4/12/2010 1:11:41 PM

I recently attended a networking meeting for the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber does a great job of creating venues for networking. That does not mean that by attending such an event you will automatically be known by hoards of potential customers. There is still a skill in marketing yourself so that you will be known by people who will connect you to prospects. I believe that creating your own network of fans can be the most effective way of using a networking group.

In today's economy, networking is an essential tool in any marketing plan. Awareness marketing is the first step in the development of a vendor/client relationship. I hearken back to a book I read many years ago called Horse Sense: How to Pull Ahead on the Business Track by Al Ries and Jack Trout. The premise of the book is that no one is successful in business on their own. They have to have key people in their network (ie. a horse to ride) who are able to help them become successful. There are no self-made men and women regardless of their financial background, educational training, great ideas or just dumb luck. "Is believing in yourself the key to success?" write the authors. "We think not. We believe the key to real success in life is believing in someone else."¹

So who are the people I should be riding to success? I would suggest that knowing the right people makes more sense than knowing everyone. Marketing yourself to people who believe in you and your product is a very smart networking strategy. Networking is nothing new. There have been trade and service organizations in existence since the invention of the wheel. However, today, networking groups are more organized and more numerous than ever. There are groups that meet frequently to pass sales leads to one another. There are networks centered around technology. The new kid in networking is the social/job-related-internet-based networking groups. I get a lot of questions about networking from my clients. What works and what is fluff? Questioning the group may be the wrong thing to ask. The better question is who is in the group and are they the people I need to accomplish my goals?

Take an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. Surround yourself with smart people who shore up your weakest points. Let them help you and, in turn, you help them. Make sure they understand what you do. You will find that these people will help spread the word about your business. If they know precisely the kind of client you need, they will help market your business.

You may be thinking, "This sounds more like creating a board of advisers rather than a marketing team." In today's networks, there is little distinction. We used to segment life much more than the new networks have offered. Somewhere along the way, the creators of online networks realized that many people want to connect on multiple levels, not just one. So your marketing efforts and your group of advisers do become the same folks. 

Here is an example out of history. On September 7, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt, age 42, became the youngest man ever to become the president of the United States. This was thrust upon him in the middle of the night when President William McKinley was shot in Buffalo, NY. Vice President Roosevelt was on vacation with his family when he received the news. By the time he could get his things together and make his way to the train station, he was informed of McKinley's death. He was now the President of the United States. Nothing could prepare a person for the weight of that piece of information, even though Roosevelt had quite a resume of public service. He had been elected a state senator from New York at age 24. He had served on the Harrison administration as a Civil Service Secretary, as the New York Police Commissioner, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in McKinley's first term, and the governor of New York. Along the way, Roosevelt had built a network of wise people whom he could count on for sound advice and decisive action. Roosevelt picked professionals to serve with him who were loyal to his vision and made up for his deficiencies. What he lacked in age and experience he made up for through his cabinet. For instance, John Hay, his secretary of state, had served several presidents all the way back to Lincoln. John Hay had been his father's friend and had known Teddy all of his life. He was a mentor to Theodore. Philander Knox was a short, bald-headed introvert, quite the opposite of extroverted Teddy Roosevelt. But Knox had a brilliant legal mind. Roosevelt tapped him to be the attorney general. He relied on Knox to steer him clear of legal entanglements. Beyond doing their jobs, these men were key in selling Roosevelt's new ideas to hardened legislators and legal experts.

So who are the people who make up your Knowledge Network? Whenever I attend a networking group, I am looking for the people I should know for their wisdom and business savvy. Building a group of smart people around you and helping them to understand your products and services could be the smartest marketing move you can make.
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1. Ries, Al & Trout, Jack. Horse Sense: How to Pull Ahead on the Business Track. McGraw-Hill, NY p. 4