The Montreal Gazette ran an article* a while ago about networking in Montreal. Our own coach, Ken Ingram, was one of the people interviewed. Here is a summary of his thoughts on the value of networking.
“I believe people are networking more than they were a decade ago, but they’re still not doing it enough,” said Ken Ingram, a professional business coach with The Achievement Centre. “It’s about relationships and connections and creating rapport with people. People do business with people they like, trust and respect.”
Networking in Montreal
Ingram says he’s out four times a week at networking events. In addition to being a member of three chambers of commerce and a professional aerospace association, he also belongs to Kiwanis, Toastmasters and a West Island chapter of BNI. “This involvement has helped me in business tremendously,” Ingram said.
A former employee of Bombardier, where his job was eliminated, he had learned to network internally in his organization but had no outside networks while he was a salaried employee. “I had to start from scratch,” he said.
“If you’re doing it for self-serving reasons, people will see that,” he said. “You have to be ready to help others. It’s also important to do follow-up when you’ve made a connection, otherwise, it’s a lost opportunity.” When networking, it’s important that you are actively listening to the people with whom you meet to deeply understand their wants and needs.**
Ingram uses an agricultural metaphor to describe the process, which is “networking is farming,” he says. “You’re planting seeds.”
*Excerpts from a Montreal Gazette article titled Networking – Everyone’s Trying to Connect, written by Stephanie Whittaker.
**As Zig Ziglar famously said, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” So, if you listen to understand their wants and needs, you are in a better position to be a connector.