The Biggest Pitfalls in Networking
I am very sure everyone who reads this has asked for an introduction to someone else before, or been asked to make one. After all, it is one of the most common forms of interactions in a professional network and has existed for a long time before the internet.
Why are introductions so popular? It is simple: you come recommended and are much more likely to get someone’s attention compared to a cold outreach. This, however, has a big implication:
When being introduced, you borrow from the trust already earned by your common contact.
Now, if everything goes well, this earns you a new connection so you are happy, and hopefully you are interesting to the person you are being introduced to as well, so that person is happy too. Finally, both of you will remember how you met, so the person who introduced you will be remembered in a positive way and also be happy.
Sounds easy? It can be, if you master some very common, dangerous pitfalls.
Here are three steps to avoid them:
- The irrelevant intro: For an intro to work, there needs to be a mutual interest. If only one person benefits, it is likely the other will be frustrated. So make sure you know the interest of both sides before going to step two. If you know both people well enough, you can work this out yourself.
- The unwanted intro: Sadly, this still happens a lot. You followed step one and concluded this would be a mutually beneficial match. However, the person to whom you would like to introduce your new contact (i) is currently very busy, (ii) has a conflict of interest or (iii) has some other reason why they are not interested. So, regardless of how great of a match it seems, check! It saves endless frustration and embarrassment, trust me.
- The unappreciated intro: Once you have been through steps 1 and 2, you are in a good position: you have consent to make the intro, so go ahead. However, there is still a chance that either (!) side does not follow through…and suddenly you hear from the other person: “X is not responding”. At this point, you can and should intervene and contact the unresponsive person and remind them of their commitment when they consented. Usually that breaks the log jam, and in the worst case you have done what you could to protect your reputation.
If you follow these three steps, your networking success will increase significantly. It might seem like a lot more work than simply writing a LinkedIn / Facebook message or email to connect two people, but if you have ever faced the awkwardness of an intro not going smoothly, you will know it is worth the effort!
Also, it allows you to do network maintenance at the same time: People in my network know I do not make unsolicited intros. At the same time, they also know that if I make an intro, I put my name and reputation behind it, so if they let the other person down, it is the same as if I were letting that person down. It rarely ever happens to me, but when it does, I tell them very clearly that I do not wish this to happen in my network, and by doing that I maintain a network which acts with integrity and is reliable.
Successful networking = Consent + Accountability
Keep this formula in mind, and you will be at the centre of many fruitful connections. Happy networking!
I am an entrepreneur and advisor, working with both individuals and teams to improve team collaboration as well as operational efficiency. In addition, I support professionals in their career development. Want to learn more about me and what I do? Feel free to reach out:
