It’s a rookie mistake that I see time and time again. I noticed this dating back to the beginning of 2004, when I started consulting the same time as a good friend (we’ll call him Sam) began to as well.
Sam had similar skills and experience as me, and was equally equipped to do the work well as well as, or if not better than me. What’s the sole difference that diversified us so much? Geography. I was located in the mid-west and Sam was in a much larger metro area on the east coast.
And off we went. Each of us were networking to find clients and checking in every few weeks to compare notes. We both were very serious about this. We each devoted ample time, energy, and attention to our networking and business endeavors. We each experienced the pure thrill of thinking we were on to finding that first client only to discover that finding that first client was harder than we had ever imagined.
Yet, after a few months, our patterns diverged. I began to get engagements, while Sam continued to be excited about the next potential partnership (based on the people he had met with that week). However, check in after check in was exactly the same: no work was forthcoming.
Playing It Safe
And then it hit me: Sam was only meeting with people just like him. They were safe. The conversations were interesting, but none of them were leading him to paying work.
Sam was doing what all beginning independent consultants are told over and over and over again to do: to network. And they do! There are too many café lattes at Starbucks to count. Too many days filled with the never ending meeting of one person and then the next person and the next. Too many gatherings left with a handful of cards and nary an idea of who belongs to what card.
They do this without fail, day after day, month after month. Around the three month mark they take stock.
- They’ve gained a few pounds from all of the lattes that they’ve drank.
- They’ve had some wonderful conversations.
- They’ve made a few meaningful, lasting relationships.
But the ROI on all this activity has a negative value. Why? Because after all of the networking they’re no closer to the real conversations they need to be having, which are ones with potential clients who have a need for the type of services they offer.
I’ve seen this play out over and over again, too. New consultants networking like mad for a period of time while partaking in interesting, but safe conversations with folks just like them. Then after 3 months, or maybe 6, giving up because they could never find a client to hire them.
Measuring Your Network
Without a doubt, as an independent consultant, your network is one of your biggest assets. One important thing to note, is the network you need is not measured by how many contacts you have, how many business cards are stacked on your desk or how many LinkedIn connections you’ve amassed.
It’s measured by how many of the RIGHT connections you make and your skill at making those connections valuable for yourself and for the recipient. Now you might think that the RIGHT connections are those with potential clients, and you would be partially correct. However, the best answer is that potential clients are only one of the five types of people you need in your network.
When I began consulting in 2004, my network was weak. Being more honest with myself, it was pathetic. I had 50 names, mostly from the employer I had spent the last 13 years with. In the mix of the 50 names were some that I was not certain would even remember me. Not a great way to start, to say the least.
Yet over time, I have created an amazing network. It is wide and deep and filled with the most amazing people. To get to that point, though, I had to learn the art of networking and creating professional relationships that are not prescribed and defined by an organization chart. I had to figure out how to connect with people who would meet with me, help me, and refer me because they wanted to, not because their boss said they had to.
Creating a Network that Works for You
My network works for me. It provides me referrals, recommendations, information, support, and advice on how to do better. Ultimately, it helps me find the right clients. And I do the exact same for the trusted people in my network.
I also work for my network. I look for opportunities for others. I refer. I connect. I support. I share. And I do it with a great sense of joy.
Without my network, my client work would not be nearly as good. In fact, I might not even have work. My life would be a lonelier place. I would be not as smart, not as fulfilled, and would have missed out on one of the things in my life that gives me the greatest satisfaction.
Yet powerful networks don’t just happen. They take time, they take effort, and they take some strategic focus. In this post, I’d like help you build a rich network that fuels your success.
The 5 Networks Every Consultant Needs
Let me share the five categories of people that independent consultants want in your network:
- Peers & Coaches – While not always official or paid “coaches” these are peers who help you do what you do better and better. They may be professionals in your field of expertise, or others that consult. Either way, they are those that are willing to share ways to ply your craft better. These are the people who share a new way to market. A book on your subject matter expertise. A new technique or approach.
- Connectors – There are people in this world who love nothing better than connecting the right people together. They have a wide network. They have an intuition that tells them that you need to meet person “X”. They love to make introductions, know who they are, and follow through when they make a connection for you!
- Collaborators – You’ll want to have a network that includes people who do what you do, in the event you land a bigger project that requires more time or different skills than you can provide. You’ll also want to have some collaborators with complimentary skills who may have a need for the skills you offer in the projects they land.
- Advocates – Everyone needs people in their network that sing their praises. Who know what you do and are witness to how good your work is. Who can be called on to be a reference for you, but who also spontaneously let’s others know they really need to talk to you because you are fabulous at what you do.
- Clients (and potential clients) – It only makes sense that you need to have people that would hire you in your own network. Connectors, advocates, and collaborators might get you in front of potential clients – or they might not. So it is up to you to determine who your ideal client is, find where they can be reached, and to bring them into your network.
A rich network that works for you will have a mix of all five categories. Not in equal measure, though, as advocates are most likely rarer (yet more valuable).
In evaluating the strength of your network ask:
- Who is my ideal client? In what venues can I connect with them?
- What is the mix of individuals I have in my active network? Am I missing a category?
- When I spend my valuable time networking, what categories am I cultivating?
- Am I spending too much time in my comfort zone (most likely peers)?
- In what ways am I showing up for those in my network? Am I willing to advocate? Connect? Collaborate?
Networking: A Two Way Street
A final word about networking: Know that networking is a two way street. You ask what you can do before you ask others to do something for you. You share first and others will share in return. You mentor and others will teach you what they can. You support others and others will then support you.
It is true that what you give, you also receive. Not one for one. But in a bigger, more wondrous way. The most successful people I know are givers.
So cultivate your network. Make it a broad one. Give to others in your network and watch your influence expand and your practice grow.
Learn how to Build your Network by Design
At LEAP we know the power of a professional network and are here to help you launch and grow your independent consulting business. A great way to create an immediate network of peers & coaches is to join our Prosper Community. Another fantastic avenue is to begin watching our Launch Series to help deepen your consulting knowledge at your own pace.
