The Best Way to Strenghten and Expand Your Network
Social networks are powerful. Whether you’re on Facebook or not… you’re still part of a number of networks: co-workers, friends, volunteer groups, professional associations, and all the colleagues that you have met along the way.
That is a lot of people to keep up with… and I’ve finally discovered the best way to do so.
Every couple weeks I shoot out an email to about a dozen friends. I tell them that I’ll be at ABC bar for happy hour on Thursday at 5:00. The more the merrier… so bring some friends.
There’s no agenda. No topic of discussion. And you never know who’ll show up. It’s just a bunch of people in different industries who would probably never get together if they didn’t have this reason.
Here’s why it works: First, everyone knows at least one person there. They can have comfort in knowing that they don’t have to worry about sitting in a corner all alone, hoping someone will talk to them.
Second, it gives people an easy way to start conversation. What’s the most commonly asked questions at weddings? “…So how do you know the bride/groom?” (I’m totally making that statistic up… but I think it has merit.) Anyway… at these get-togethers, anyone can start a conversation by asking, “So how do you know the host?”
Third, it strengthens and expands your network. Because you chose to send out the email, it’s your job to be introducing people and making sure that people with similar interests connect. People appreciate (and remember) that.
On the flip side, if people bring friends, they’ll most likely introduce them to you first. That assures you that you’ll meet a few new people as well.
Here are a few tips for hosting a successful get together:
- Atmosphere – Find a low key, easy to place to chat. Sports bars are fantastic.
- Mix it up – Don’t invite too many people from one group… spread the invitations across social networks.
- Get early buy in – Make sure you have at least two or three people that will be there… then send the message out to ten others.
- Introduce people on email – if you know two people who should meet, introduce them over email before the event. That saves you time during the event and guarantees that they won’t back out last minute. (Because that happens.)
If you want to experience one of these first hand… I’ll be in Chicago this Saturday. I’m organizing a little get together this Saturday downtown at the Rock Bottom Brewery at 6:00. I’m inviting the volunteers from the Chicago New Media Summit, a couple Brazen Careerist bloggers, and a few of my friends from college. If you’re interested, shoot me an email.
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8 Responses
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Cool idea, Andy. I’ll have to try this out. I’m curious how often the different social groups start to converse and overlap? Wouldn’t these folks have to be pretty outgoing for a lot of different interactions to occur?
PS: Add the ‘subscribe to comments’ plugin so I know when you respond.
Love the idea. We have implemented that with Twitter down here and have hosted TweetUps twice now. Each time a few new people came around and everyone learned a thing or 2. Getting these people together are where real relationships are formed.
Devin – Thanks for the tip! As far as the social groups go, I haven’t had much a problem with it yet. It works really well if you get a couple of pub-tables and put them together. Whenever someone new arrives, I normally introduce them to everyone around the table and they go from there. Let me know how it works for you.
@Greg – I was at a Tweetup last night.
They rock! And @Smartypig pulled off one of the most brilliant pieces of viral marketing I’ve seen in a long time.
The Tweetup was at a hidden location and clues were placed online throughout the day… At 5:00 an obvious clue was given and the first three people to make it to the Tweetup got $100 and the winner got a Nintendo Wii. It was a blast.
Tweetups are so fun because you meet people that you’re kind of friends with… but not really. It’s fun to chat in person instead of through 140 character messages.
We also have a bloggers group that does the same once a month.
Love your combination of “high tech” with “high touch”!
Keep creating…a brand worth raving about,
Mike
Dairy world meet and greet…go to a local stock sale…fair…rodeo…etc. Find ONE person you know. Get introduced to fifty more. It works amazingly. I took a couple nice cows to our local show. Got to meet several very well respected highly thought of breeders and former master fitters/showman who now fit cows for a living. It was awesome. Now they know me and I know them. I can’t wait to get to the OHM Club sale next month! They have a bunch of folks they said they want me to meet! Going to be so cool. Given I am by far one of the ones who is the most out of the loop because I’ve been showing at other places for years!
Good luck with your thing! I hope it goes over superbly!