Six degrees of separation – or less…that’s all you need to make contact with anyone in the world! 

This is how it works, if you have 250 people in your network, and they in turn have 250 people in their networks and so on up to six times, you end up with a potential network of 244,140,625,000,000. That is just under 37 thousand times more than the world population.  According to this theory we can contact the Queen, Madonna, and the Delai Lama by making up to six phone calls!

But let’s face it; most of us will probably never need to make contact with these people.  So what’s the point of all this information? It shows the power of networking!  If you have a person you would like to make contact with, say a potential employer or client, you can use your network to reach that person. In fact, all you need is only three times your network to make that contact.  This is because the further you reach out, the weaker the contacts become. 

Here’s a practical example.  One of our Advisers’ business goals was to reach a particular potential client.  Having already joined a professional networking association, she made sure she planned ahead to go to their networking events – first degree of separation. With a little bit of research, she knew that an employee of that particular firm would be present at this function, so she set about to meet her (second degree).  Through this new contact, she was then introduced to the head of HR of the same organisation (third and final degree).  This contact opened doors to many business opportunities and they have proven to be an extremely valued client.

As you can see from this example, building a network doesn’t usually happen by chance – we need to do it on purpose! It requires planning, commitment and time.

Here are a few tips on how to network effectively:

• Choose networks that align with your personal interests, professional industry as well as broader areas of business and schedule the events into your diary.
• Aim to make one or two good contacts at each event.  Remember to focus on the person, not on their business.
• When initiating conversation, smile, say hello and introduce yourself.  Start by asking them an open question such as what brought them to the function. Whatever question you ask, make sure it is one that doesn’t require a ‘yes’, ‘no’ answer and it is always about them – not you!
• Remember to listen, listen and listen!
• Treat everyone with respect and integrity.  Body language is important, make sure you don’t overstay your welcome, if you need to move on, do so politely and respectfully.
• Ask for business cards only if you have every intention to follow them up and stay in touch – too many people think that effective networking is a collection of business cards – not so, it’s about making people connections!
• Always follow up on contacts you have made and make sure you do what you promised – always. This doesn't just mean calling or meeting up over coffee, it also means finding ways that you can add value to the person you have met.  Maybe during your converstation with you recalled an article, some information or even the name of someone else that you thought would be really helpful to them.  Follow through with it - email them the article, post them the information or introduce them to your contact.  You'll be amazed at how these acts, which may seem small at the time, will go a long way in broadening your network.
• Be willing to refer your contacts on to others within your network and never expect anything in return – never keep score of your referrals.  You never know who they know…you may be one degree closer to a contact that could change your life!