Last Wednesday afternoon I had the pleasure of presenting to a great group at the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. The topic was networking.
 

Whenever I speak about networking I like to ask the audience what they think is the hardest thing about networking. There are many possible answers but it’s always interesting to find out how people will respond. The list usually includes something about how challenging it is to meet people you don’t know. Frustration about people not responding to follow-up calls or emails is almost always mentioned. These were echoed by the DAAR group. But the one that seemed to get the most nods and groans of agreement was that networking take so much time.
 

While being busy is not a new problem for professionals, figuring out how to make the best use of your time has actually gotten harder. Time management can cause a great deal of anxiety and consternation. Figuring out what you should be spending your time doing can be a job in itself. This is even more of an issue if you are in a sales role or a small business owner. As Benjamin Franklin said, “time is money.”
 

When it comes to networking is there a way to figure out if you’re doing too much, or not enough? How much networking should you be doing a month?
 

I wish there was a simple answer to that question… I really do. Unfortunately, the answer depends totally on what you’re trying to accomplish. The secret to how much is enough lies in having a strategy and plan to network effectively as well as efficiently. A plan that makes the best use of your time.
 

From a time management perspective professional networking can be particularly tricky since it is inherently a time intensive activity. Making sure you’re focusing your efforts on events that make the most sense is critical. If you’re doing it correctly, networking is much more than just showing up in person to sling your elevator speech around and collect business cards. It is easy to spend a lot of time networking but still not get much out of all that work. You have to be targeted in your approach… or you can burn yourself out.
 

To help you determine if you are spending too much time networking I’ve compiled five questions you can ask about any event or activity. These questions can help you hone in on and choose the best, highest value places to go meet the people who can impact your goals. Here we go…
 

You don’t necessarily need to know what specific individuals will be attending an event to decide if that event could be worth your while. As long as the event has people who are likely to benefit you (and you them) then it could be a good fit for you. But be careful. If I’m looking to meet CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies I’m not likely to see them at a BNI meeting in my town. That’s not a luncheon they would normally attend. However, you might run into one or two at a TED conference, for example.
 

Knowing who you want to meet is only half the question. Be clear why the people in this particular group or at this particular event will be good for you to meet. If they use your products and services then it could be good for prospecting. If they don’t, but they are the gatekeepers to those who do, it could still be productive. If it’s just a group of 200 random people at a gathering then you might be disappointed. There may be lots of people at an event, but that doesn’t mean any of them will help you accomplish your goals. Be mindful of why you’re going.
 

Being clear why you are there is not the same as being clear why they are there. Understanding the nature of their interest and reasons for attending can be critical to starting a useful conversation. Remember, it’s as much about what they want/need as what you want/need. If you make it all about you then you might miss an opportunity to connect with someone. You can stick out like a sore salesy thumb if you don’t fit in with the purpose of the event. A charity ball is not necessarily the best place to try and get someone to set a sales meeting.
 

Networking takes resources, including time, money and energy. If you are not sure you can “afford” the event you might want to take a pass. Stretching yourself too thin can create anxiety that might show through when you’re talking to people you meet. Please pay attention to the last of the three carefully. Networking with low energy can be a real problem and can kill your effectiveness without you even realizing it. If you come across as desperate or burned out you can risk making a terrible first impression.
 

If you do decide to go to an event, think about how you will know if the event is a success… or not. Determine what the least acceptable results are for the event. It’s usually easy to dream about the best outcome, but looking at it from the other end helps you spot time waster events. Sure you might meet the president of that firm you’ve been calling for weeks. But, what if you don’t? You’re not guaranteed to meet her even if she is there… so who else are you likely to meet that would make the time and effort of showing up worth your while? If the answer is no one, then you might want to rethink registering in the first place.
 

There you have it, five questions to help you determine if an event is likely to be productive, or just a waste of time. These are just some of the many questions it takes to create a strong networking strategy. Taking the time to do so will put you miles ahead of other people who try to attend every event and meet every person in the room.
 

Sometimes networking a lot is networking too much. Be targeted in your choice of events and activities to get the most from your input of time, money and energy. You might be surprised that you make better quality connections and even enjoy the process of networking more than ever before.
 

I share more tips and tricks like these at www.pitchforsuccess.com/blog if you’d like to join me there.
 
 

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