Networking Tips for Business Owners and Solo PR Pros

When you’re in business for yourself, it’s easy for the line between networking and selling to become blurred. After all, to sustain and grow a business, you should always be hustling.

But networking is about cultivating relationships. It shouldn’t be purely transactional. (Neither should sales, for that matter!)

This problem has become especially acute in the current economic crisis. I’m not the first to notice an upswing over the past year in heavy-handed appeals that carry a whiff of desperation.

So how do you know you’ve crossed the line from networking to selling? Here are a few “do’s” and “don’ts” of effective networking for business owners, solo pros and others. (Note that many of these suggestions also apply to job hunters.)

DON’T: Ask to connect on LinkedIn without a personalized message. This is basic “LinkedIn 101” and should go without saying. Unfortunately, it does not.

• DO: Tell people why you’d like to connect — an issue, field or person you have in common. Spend a moment checking out their profile and state your case in a sentence.

DON’T: Send a stranger a Facebook friend request. For many people, Facebook is purely a social outlet. They want to keep their personal life separate from business.

• DO: Wait until you develop a relationship with them before trying to connect on Facebook. Or at minimum, check out their page first. What do their public posts look like? Do they have 5,000 friends? Are many of your own business contacts mutual friends?

DON’T: Ask for help right out of the gate. That sours what could be a mutually beneficial relationship, turning it into a one-way transaction.

• DO: Get to know them a bit, and give them an opportunity to know you. Engage with them — comment on and share their posts.

DON’T: Ask to “pick their brain.” For many people, their brains are their intellectual capital — why should they give it away to a stranger? Plus, it’s too general. Nobody has time for an open-ended chat these days.

• DO: Get specific with your request. Can they introduce you to a particular contact? Is there someone within their organization you’d like to meet? Is there one thing you’d like them to do? But again, having a relationship first helps.

DON’T: Approach new contacts with thinly disguised sales pitches — such as asking for a conversation to “learn more about your business” or posing a question like, “What would you say is your biggest challenge right now?” 

• DO: Understand that these tactics are a turnoff and people are busy. They’re far more likely to hire partners who have been recommended by someone in their network rather than via cold calls or unsolicited pitches.

DON’T: Add people to your mass email list without their explicit permission. It’s against the law.

• DO: Acquaint yourself with the CAN-SPAM Act and the General Data Protection Regulation — which prohibit this behavior and carry significant penalties for violators. If you want to update them occasionally, then do it with a personalized email.

DON’T: Invite people to join one of those online “referral networks.” Most of us have a hard-enough time keeping up with the traditional channels like LinkedIn, and are not interested in creating and maintaining yet another profile somewhere else.

• DO: Get to know people. If they come to value you and your services, then they will refer you to others (or entertain requests to do so).

DON’T: Stretch yourself too thin. Don’t volunteer for anything and everything that comes your way. 

• DO: Be strategic in your involvement. It’s better to go deep with a couple of organizations or causes instead of shallow with a lot. If you can, then choose assignments that showcase your expertise. If you’re a media pro, then don’t volunteer to do the books!

DON’T: Be a wallflower in the professional or industry groups you belong to — like PRSA, for instance.

• DO: Get involved. Join a committee, take part in online forums, contribute content to the magazine or blog, apply to speak at conferences or pitch a presentation to your local chapter. 

DON’T: Just “show up” at meetings and events — whether virtual or in-person, with your camera off or eyes on your phone.

• DO: Be active and strategic. Show up early or stay late for the networking. If a list of attendees is available, scan it and seek out the people you want to meet. Be visible and active: Ask smart questions and help others out with ideas and links. 

DON’T: Be ungrateful. 

• DO: Thank people for their help. With email, there’s no excuse. But for an extra-impressive touch, send a letter in the mail.

DON’T: Put the burden on them. 

• DO: Make it easy for people to help you. Want a recommendation? Offer to draft it for their review. A referral? Give them language for an introductory email.

DON’T: Drop off the face of the earth. Out of sight is out of mind.

• DO: Take charge of the follow-up. Many times, I’ve met with someone who was looking for help. Then months later, I came across an opportunity but couldn’t remember the name of the person I talked to. Stay on their radar through social media or an occasional email update.

DON’T: Overlook your personal network — it’s a potential source for referrals, business and other opportunities. 

• DO: Make sure that your friends know what you do. You may use Instagram or Facebook mainly for personal reasons, but also try to occasionally post about major accomplishments in your work life, or offer insights based on your experience. Let people see the “whole you.”

Finally, be understanding.

Among the many divides that this pandemic has exposed is the one between those who are out of work or underemployed, and those who are overwhelmed. Be patient with people, don’t make assumptions about their availability and show some empathy.

We may all be in this together, but everyone’s experience is different.