'Connecting is not Enough' - tips and tools to help you get a return from your networking

It's been a memorable week. I have just returned from a fantastic few days in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, where I spoke to a joint meeting of the Nordic and German Chambers of Commerce and then at a conference for the top members of network marketing company Sophie Paris Vietnam (above).

I always enjoy my visits to speak overseas, particularly when it gives me the opportunity to explore different cultures. I'm interested both personally and also to see how networking differs across the world. 

From a personal perspective, I loved Vietnam. There is a vibrancy about HCMC  that I doubt few cities in the world can match. I'm feeling the effects of too many feasts, particularly the tamarind crab, quails eggs and goats nipples! I missed out on the snake heart shots though.

Networking in Vietnam is not too different from back home. Business cards are treated in a different way, somewhere between the formality of China and the more relaxed approach in the West, and everyone passes their cards out as soon as they meet (see below). 

Certainly networking is less widespread among the local population, although the ex-pat community thrives on it. Social events are more popular than speakers, in fact I met the 'only professional speaker in Vietnam' on Sunday. I also met a few people keen to change that though. 

It was hard to get too clear a picture as I only attended the two events at which I spoke, with completely different audiences, but people are keen to connect and quick to follow up, which suggests a strong networking culture. 

Hopefully I can go back soon and find out more. Monday's lead story in the Saigon Times can't do any harm:

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My trip to Vietnam couldn't have got off to a better start. While I was waiting for my flight at Heathrow I couldn't resist the temptation to look in WH Smith and see how well my new book 'Recommended: How to sell through networking and referrals' was doing. 

I don't think I could possibly have been more pleased!

Number One!

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OK, I have to put my hands up and admit my guilt. I made what many people tell me is the number one mistake when networking. And I did it in style. 

On my way to the airport for my speaking trip in Vietnam last week I suddenly realised that I had forgotten to pack something. My suit, belt, shirts and shoes were all in place. Cufflinks at the ready. I had my passport and my tickets, my hotel booking and my travel insurance. 

Everything was in place but one....my business cards! 

I scrambled around in my passport holder and my wallet and found nine cards in total. That's all I had for a trip to Asia complete with two speaking engagements, a gala dinner and a series of meetings. What a disaster when I was going there to speak about effective networking. 

Fortunately, when people have told me in the past that not having business cards is the cardinal sin (pun unintended) for networkers, I have always disagreed with them. It is good to have a business card when people ask for it, for sure, but it is far worse not to ask for someone's card when you want to follow up with them.

Give your card away and not ask for one back, and you cede control of the conversation.

Having said that, the last place you'd want to not have your cards available is Asia, where people pass them to each other at the beginning of a conversation out of courtesy. Explaining my predicament was very embarrassing, but I did so politely and promised in every case to send on my details by email. Which I did as soon as possible. 

And that's the key. If you don't have cards for any reason, ask for those of people you'd like to keep in touch with and make sure you follow up promptly. 

Of course, my client told me at the end of my visit that I should have sent him the artwork and he would have printed cards for my arrival! That would certainly have helped. 

As people are telling you more about their business and the  

situations that they are looking to resolve through networking,  you may find yourself in a position where you feel able to offer them advice. This might be by telling them how you dealt with a similar situation.

Be very careful about how you deal with situations like this. You destroy all of your hard work by immediately making the conversation revolve around you rather than your companion. 

Feel free to make suggestions, or ask if they have considered a different approach but it is often better to stop short of telling people how they should deal with a situation. Certainly ask their permission first before telling them about your experiences.

And bring the conversation back to their problem as quickly as possible.

Here are a few things you may want to consider when writing your profile:

-   An engaging picture. LinkedIn is a social network; people want to engage with other people there. If you don't put a picture on your profile, you are falling at the first hurdle. That photograph needs to be professional but warm. Not a cold 'passport' head and shoulders shot, nor a more casual picture of you wearing a silly hat drinking a large beer! Some people use cartoons of themselves, I don't think these are a suitable alternative either.

-   A clear message of what you do. When you edit your profile, underneath your name you will be invited to add a 'professional headline'. Unless your company name is well known or a brand you want to focus on, use this to share a statement that shows immediately the value you offer to others. Your company name won't mean much to others, nor will it invite immediate preconceptions, so use this field imaginatively to capture the imagination of people reading your profile.

-   Update your Status regularly to keep your network informed about what you are doing and to share blogs and videos you publish.

-   'Professional experience and goals'. Use this field to write an engaging summary of your background and what you offer. I asked my LinkedIn network what they most liked about people's profile pages. The most common response was 'written in the first person'. Speak to people rather than at them in the summary and engage them in a way that they'll want to find out more.

 -   'Specialities'. Search engine experts will tell you to use keywords here to help you get found, as well as elsewhere on your profile. That is fine, but not my focus here. However else you use your profile, you should make it clear in this field how you can help people and when they should be thinking of you.

-   Make sure all relevant current and past positions are included, with a brief description of what was involved. Ask yourself again what people need to read here to make them want to meet with you. 

A key, yet often overlooked, part of any referrals strategy is following up. Not just with the person you are being referred to, but also with your Champion. It's vital whether a referral turns into business or not, and it's equally important when you pass a referral to someone else. 

In this latest video tip, courtesy of Sage, I talk about the importance of such feedback and the role it plays. 

The importance of following up when you have received, or given, referrals

Scamming the scammers - The Nigerian Blue

Just for Fun

In other people's words 

Recommended isn't just a good read. It contains some of the best strategies I've seen for attracting more referred clients into your business. I've only had the book a matter of weeks and have passed it to colleagues as required reading. I've been steadily working through the techniques detailed and have already networked my way into several large organisations where previously I didn't think I'd ever get a foot in the door. 

Don't just read it, apply it because the techniques really do work.

Hannah McNamara

CEO, HRM Global Group of Companies