The Art of Invisible Networking – Yes, it exists.

December 4, 2009 | Posted in Blog, business networking, first impressions, referrals |

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Yes, you read that right. I just said invisible and networking in the same sentence. How could that be?

I love to ask about the concept of visibility when talking at events. When the audience is posed with the question of “what is visibility”, naturally, many answer that it’s “being seen” and yes, in a sense it is.. However, visibility is about much more than that.

Merriam-Webster defines visibility as “the capability of being readily noticed”…

Let’s re-read that. It is “the -capability- of being readily noticed.”

Understanding this and applying it was instrumental in me being able to quadruple the size of our previous business through online and offline networking. Why? Because I was intentional in making sure that I was in as many places as I could be both online and offline so that when a prospect was ready to “see” me, I was there.

In fact, it got to a point where people used to say to me “Taryn, I have a referral for you but I knew I would run into you during the week and wanted to give it to you in person.” They knew they would see me and counted on it, why? Because I was intentionally visible.

It is often discussed that consumers buy on their timetable and not on ours… The same applies to business networking and referrals. The trick to capitalize on this is to be everywhere you can so that you are always top of mind so that when the opportunity arises for you to capitalize on a moment, that you are there, ready to be noticed.

That being said, just because you are out networking does not mean that you are capable of being readily noticed. Imagine people who are on Twitter but only update once every few days. Do you think they are demonstrating that they have the capability of being readily noticed?

Do you know that person who goes to a networking event once in a while yet wonders why they can’t get business referrals? Or why it is that they are not often remembered? What about that person who is on Twitter or Facebook and feels that they are pointless and they cannot grow their businesses that way? Consider their posting habits or their event outreach…

Are YOU struggling with some of these concerns? It might be time to look at your own online and offline strategy and ask yourself the question “am I truly visible? Am I easily noticable? Am I accessible and memorable?”

If the answers are no, then you too might be inadvertently practicing the art of invisible networking…

Now that you know that, what are you going to do about it?

Share and Enjoy:

http://www.downtownwomensclub.com/ Diane

Great post. Good networkers are consistent, both in their actions (showing up online and in person) and also in their dependability. You captured it perfectly.
http://www.downtownwomensclub.com Diane

Great post. Good networkers are consistent, both in their actions (showing up online and in person) and also in their dependability. You captured it perfectly.
http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/tarynp.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/invisible-networking-social-networking-business-networking-visibility/ uberVU – social comments

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by tarynp: New Blog Post – Is Invisible Networking sabotaging your ability to grow your business? http://budurl.com/insn #winatl…
http://www.deborahbrody.com/ Deborah Brody

So other than being consistent, what makes you more visible?
http://www.deborahbrody.com Deborah Brody

So other than being consistent, what makes you more visible?
http://www.warpspeederrands.com/ WarpSpeedErrands

Love these points. I too seem hear ‘you are everywhere’ often. I like this. The next thing that you may want to elaborate on (which you touched on in this post) is Branding yourself. I use a ‘tag line’ or slogan to help people remember me, as well as when I introduce myself, I give the person my first name and a cute ‘Title’ name: Errand Goddess. The person almost always remembers me as the Errand Goddess, cause they know lots of Jennifers. I stick out due to the title name.

I thought of another point: Elevator Speech. Perhaps you’ve spoken about this (sorry catching up on posts) previously, but if you go to every network but don’t have a game plan, I found that I strike out every time.

Time and again I hear co-entrepreneurs say to each other.. Oh I didn’t know you did THAT!?! Clear, concise, rememberable elevator speeches and branding. Goes hand and hand with getting out and network.
http://www.warpspeederrands.com WarpSpeedErrands

Love these points. I too seem hear ‘you are everywhere’ often. I like this. The next thing that you may want to elaborate on (which you touched on in this post) is Branding yourself. I use a ‘tag line’ or slogan to help people remember me, as well as when I introduce myself, I give the person my first name and a cute ‘Title’ name: Errand Goddess. The person almost always remembers me as the Errand Goddess, cause they know lots of Jennifers. I stick out due to the title name.

I thought of another point: Elevator Speech. Perhaps you’ve spoken about this (sorry catching up on posts) previously, but if you go to every network but don’t have a game plan, I found that I strike out every time.

Time and again I hear co-entrepreneurs say to each other.. Oh I didn’t know you did THAT!?! Clear, concise, rememberable elevator speeches and branding. Goes hand and hand with getting out and network.
socialsea

As always Ms. Social Media expert, excellent points to consider and follow. This post is timely for me as I sit here writing a proposal for a new client. This is the exact topic I reviewed with the client last week His business is wonderful, his products are priced better than the competition, excellent personal service along with a charming personality and story. The problem? I can find him anywhere on the net. His web site and blog appear stylish, easy to use and informative. How can these tools benefit your business if the targeted consumer can’t find you? Promoting yourself frequently is key. You have definitely found the key to networking with benefits. It’s not enough to be on the web and have a great site. Build and they will come is not enough. It’s a committed to communicate frequently and network consistently. I am your student and your topics are relevant to those of us learning new skills. Keep the good info coming. As always, thanks for sharing.
socialsea

As always Ms. Social Media expert, excellent points to consider and follow. This post is timely for me as I sit here writing a proposal for a new client. This is the exact topic I reviewed with the client last week His business is wonderful, his products are priced better than the competition, excellent personal service along with a charming personality and story. The problem? I can find him anywhere on the net. His web site and blog appear stylish, easy to use and informative. How can these tools benefit your business if the targeted consumer can’t find you? Promoting yourself frequently is key. You have definitely found the key to networking with benefits. It’s not enough to be on the web and have a great site. Build and they will come is not enough. It’s a committed to communicate frequently and network consistently. I am your student and your topics are relevant to those of us learning new skills. Keep the good info coming. As always, thanks for sharing.
http://noteasytoforget.com/2010/04/is-your-networking-notworking/ Is Your Networking NOTworking?

[...] sporadically productive, or is it passively unproductive? Just because you are going to events doesn’t mean people are seeing you or that you’re producing anything from it aside from handing out and receiving business [...]