“How much time do you devote to networking?” asked a young woman from the audience.
Last night, I was part of a panel discussion at my alma mater, Ball State University, for a panel discussion on careers. I had been invited by Shayla Kiser, the president of the Professional Communication Network, and I was sitting on a panel with some fairly important people: Scott Evans, the emcee for the contests the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever run during games; Rob Higley, owner of Reveal Consulting, and Glendal Jones, the Communications Director for Congressman André Carson.
“We’re always networking,” Rob answered. “We’ll probably network with each other after this,”
That’s exactly what we did. Each of us realized we could do something for the other person. So cards were exchanged, promises of follow-up were made, and favorite coffee houses were discussed.
We’re always networking. Or at least we always should be. I try to remember to carry business cards with me wherever I go, because I never know when I’m going to bump into somebody who can help me or I can help. Scott Evans met a guy who is looking for marketing help for his pickle company in a bar after the big Super Cross event at Lucas Oil Stadium; the man is driving back down to Indianapolis to meet with Scott in a few weeks. All because Scott happened to be in the right place at the right time, and didn’t forget that he’s always on.
I am always looking to meet new people. My daughter once told a friend of hers, “My dad almost always knows somebody whenever we go out. And if he doesn’t, he makes sure he does when we leave.”
Networking is not a one-hour-a-day event. You don’t start networking when you come to an At The Top event, and stop when you leave. You’re always on, because you never know who you’re going to bump into, or where, or when. So make sure you’re ready and in the right frame of mind.
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