Effective networking is a result of proper priorities:
Everything has an order of importance. Maintaining that order is essential to keeping balance in life.
Everything can be prioritized. Not everything is of equal importance.
Productivity is built around priorities. Do the essential things first. Then the non- essential things may even disappear.
The habit is essential for effective networkers.
Urgent and Important Tasks…
The earlier two habits must be firmly planted if you’re to be effective here. You must:
Understand the end result that you want to achieve.
Proactively be seeking the right person.
For many people the most urgent task of all is making the next sale. You see these people often at networking events. They rush from one person to the next making a fast pitch and then off. This will destroy your networking efforts.
Respecting the other person requires that you have this quadrant under control. Nothing turns other people off faster than viewing them as a paycheck.
This first quadrant is the vendor model. In the vendor model everything is transactional rather than relational. Every person you meet is seen as a profit center.
Networking is a Quadrant 2 Activity…
Quadrant 2 has important tasks, but they don’t demand immediate attention. This is where you build your business.
Networking is that kind of activity. It’s a relationship building process. It cannot be view as important and urgent, but rather as important and not urgent. (Urgency cannot occupy a top priority.)
This takes the pressure off the initial meeting and places it on building relationships with the right person. You don’t have to make a sale you have to build a relationship.
Understanding the first things in your life allows you the freedom to focus on the Quadrant 2 things. Giving you time to give attention to what’s important and not just what’s urgent. Once you master this habit you are building a powerful business and a peaceful life.
This is where you develop and grow your business. This is the most important of the quadrants, but also the most neglected. Focus your attention here.
Things that aren’t important, but seem urgent…
This quadrant can destroy your business. Not everything you can do should you do. That is the distraction of Quadrant 3.
Spending time with someone who isn’t the right person to propel your business forward. Is common problem for networkers.
Wasting networking time with everyone who wants to pitch their gig to you turns an important (Quadrant 2) activity into a Quadrant 3 activity...immediately. Get done with that fast!
Continuing to attend activities that cannot provide you with connections to the right people will force you to spend too much time in a Quadrant 3 mode.
Not all people represent an opportunity. And not all opportunities represent potential. Learn to identify the difference or you’ll spend all of you time stuck in Quadrant 3.
Things that aren’t important and not urgent…
This is where we retreat when stressed, burned out, or confused about what to do next. It can become a haven from the frustrations or a hell for the future of your business.
Social media can become a Quadrant 4 activity if there isn’t a plan in place. Even if your job is social media marketing! If you catch yourself talking to others like you read Facebook posts you’re in trouble.
The call to “come over here and relax for a bit” is very strong and Quadrant 4 activity begins. Relaxation must be designed into your pattern so it doesn’t become a quadrant 4 activity.
Nothing productive ever comes from here.
If you find yourself talking to someone else and nothing productive is coming from it - you’re in the Quadrant 4 zone. It’s time for a reality check.
What to watch for when networking…
When networking what is the topic of conversation?
How much time do you spend with the right people?
Do you focus on building relationship with key people?
How do you feel in the networking meeting? Pressured to connect to sell? Pressured to present your gig? Pressured to meet the right person? Pressured by what you’re going to say next?
You can’t turn a networking meeting into a Quadrant 2 meeting while feeling pressured!