Whether we like it or not we all have networks, even if it is a collection of people who spot trains, bird watch or collect a certain type of hobby magazine. We constantly organise ourselves into groups, not sifting and selecting but by choosing things that appeal to us and others do the same, and so we end up with interest groups.

The Internet has enabled these interest groups to build up much quicker than ever before and globally too! So we can find and talk to people with similar interests right across the other side of the world, just as easily as someone in the next town! The importance here is to stress that Networks are between people not businesses. Your network follows YOU around!

So what?.. well if we think about the different networks that we all have they are all interconnected, there are ‘cross overs’ where people appear in perhaps one of our networks but they are also present in 3 or 4 others that we are not. We have no idea what networks people are part of or that their partners are part of and so here lies the first secret of Networking and one that I find a real challenge, which is to discover what other Networks people are part of and that I could potentially be ‘Advocated’ into.

This of course relies on Rapport building, the ability to get on with people in a congruent manner and to really find out about people and what makes them tick. This is not difficult as people love to talk about themselves and so with a willing pair of ears and armed with some simple questions we can find out a surprising amount in 10-15 minutes.

Here comes the second ‘secret’ of Networking ‘Advocacy’… how can we create a situation that others will talk about us and what we do when we are not around?

The first element is so simple, people have to like you, this leads on to a deeper understanding over time as the relationship builds to finally trust where some kind of transaction takes place which validates everything that has gone before. This does take time, it doesn’t happen instantly and often requires people to meet 7 times or more before trust has been reached. It makes me smile when people say i’ve tried networking for 6 months it doesn’t work! 6 months is the time it takes to learn the basics of networking, let alone see any results from it! It’s a business investment try 18-24 months and then if you think it isn’t working, consider how you are networking, because I can tell you, the problem isn’t networking!

The second element is more of a challenge, clarity of the proposition. How can anyone advocate what you do if you cannot clearly advocate it yourself? 2 to 7 words is the target, if the proposition is not that simple then no one can tell anyone else with any confidence. In our business SME7 we simply ‘Modernise SME Businesses’ 3 words… anyone can say it… and anyone interested can be sent to a website for further information.

The third ‘Secret’ of Networking is that every single connection has value. It could be a passageway to a new Network absolutely perfect for your business, it could be a a direct client, a supplier or even a collaboration or joint venture business partner. The worst case should be that they like you, and understand what you do, and if they meet someone who needs your product / service they advocate you… Failing all of that you might just make a friend!

So we have developed a network of people around us that like us and we have a simple clear proposition that enables people to advocate us, what next?

Increase your profile is the next step… but what does that mean? Well if you have read the book by Stephen Covey, 7 habits of highly successful people, he discusses our Sphere of Influence as being key to our success (whatever that means to us)

To change the world like Ghandi did in India, with nothing more than a walking stick and a robe he brought an end to the rule by Britain on that sub continent. How did one small man achieve what the armies of the world could not? Sphere of Influence… Ghandi built a movement of almost 1 Billion people who believed that it was time for India to be self determining and they were right.

Now to increase our Sphere of Influence we have to meet people, we have to build rapport and trust. We have to operate with good principles and integrity which builds respect and be the kind of person that others want to be around. We also have to treat people with dignity and in the way they would want to be treated. The reward for this is a following, a following that will grow as the size and scale of achievements grows.

Our Sphere of Influence starts out very small, just immediate friends and family, but as we network and build our reputation, our sphere of influence grows with it. No one would argue that if the president of the United States was to endorse a product or service that it would probably be suddenly very popular! So it is with our influence, actually in the modern world (and we haven’t even started to appreciate the changes that this will bring yet) networks and spheres of influence will become valuable assets.

Celebrities have long since enjoyed the endorsement and branding marketplace. Get a huge celebrity to back your product or service and the product will sell, but there are interesting times ahead… ponder the following paragraphs for a moment…

Let us take a beer manufacturer, who sells to the public through normal channels via sales reps. Supermarkets, Pubs, Clubs and other retail outlets are the main channels along with Online sales. Now picture a series of beer loving influential Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn users with 10′s of thousands of followers, carefully interspersing tweets about their favourite tipple with their other messages… now double / triple this by collecting a few such individuals together and suddenly there is a subliminal warm market referral going on for our Brewery’s beer, will they sell more beer? What has the real cost of marketing been? Is it targeted and effective? Could businesses start to engage with high profile networkers in a similar way to record labels fighting over musicians in times gone by…

Now switch to the other side of the fence… suddenly a large influential network has a tangible net worth and can be used ‘discreetly’ to generate income or help fund activities we are passionate about. We are entering the era of massive change on Business to Consumer marketing, with opportunities on both sides. Anyone can now create an environment to generate multiple income streams or ways to fund things that they enjoy doing in return for advocacy.

Potentially, and for many, instead of earning large sums of money, we now have the real opportunity to erode the costs from our lives, focusing not on capitalism and greed but instead funding the lifestyle choices that we have made!

In conclusion we are all Networking anyway but for those that embrace the potential of networking the future looks very interesting indeed.

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Key Lessons: The DragonFly Model

• Small acts can create big change when the core idea is deeply meaningful.
• Co-ordinate the 4 wings:
  • 1. One clear goal > FOCUS
  • 2. Do something unexpected > STAND OUT
  • 3. Tell a compelling story > MEANING
  • 4. Enable collaborative engagement > ACTION

Food for thought for our SME7 Clients for sure, many of whom when they start working with us sit in the ‘social media’s a waste of time‘ camp, but plenty too for those of us in the SME7 delivery team too… As we embark on our own massive change initiative to modernize British Business and revitalize our economy, the concept of enabling collaborative engagement to ‘create infectious action’ has never been more relevant. As Professor Aaker reminds us,

Most revolutions are sparked by the actions of a few ordinary people. Your biggest asset is a clear mind and a very large idea.
Find the ignition point and light it.

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The offer of a shiny new Apple iPad2 is still on the table for anyone* who successfully introduces Practitioners to the SME7 project, BUT (and here’s the first bit of good news) for the time being**, this will no longer involve a cash supplement. Yup!  By introducing a simple points-based reward system and broadening the referral criteria to include Suppliers and Clients too, we’ve been able to tweak the deal to everyone’s advantage. This now means, not only can you get your ‘must-have’ gadget completely FREE, but (and here’s the second…) bigger ongoing rewards for Referrers too. Registration is now open at www.SME7.com/refer.

* Anyone who registers as an SME7 Referrer, that is!

** We’re not sure how long this new offer will last. We need to monitor it’s efficacy and we reserve the right to change it to get the results we need.

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UPDATE: Click here for updated information regarding the SME7 Referral Program

We will be releasing more details about the Apple iPad2 offer very, very soon! If you’d like to be notified as soon as we do that, your best bet is to subscribe to this blog feed right now! For now, here’s the topline deal with our Referrer Programme:

Get yourself a gorgeous new Apple iPad2 for just £97 + 3 signups to the SME7 Practitioner Programme

Thereafter we will pay you £125 for each additional SME7 Practitioner who signs up on your referral!

You MUST register as a Referrer BEFORE April 30th.

More details to follow… sign up to the feed below to get those as soon as they’re released – and in the meantime, ask yourself, who else do I know that would make a great SME7 Practitioner?

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