Networking 101 - One on One Meetings are Essential

Networking 101 - One on One Meetings are Essential

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd - March 2009

Being able to have a ‘one on one’ discussion with someone that I have met, very briefly  at a Networking meeting (or anywhere for that matter) is of the utmost importance for me.

Think about it for a minute – at a Networking meeting, chances are that you have had about 30 seconds (if you are lucky) to tell people who you are and what it is that you do.  In the instances where you have tried to engage in conversation with someone, that conversation has been interrupted – several times, by people wanting to give you their business cards or wanting to give business cards to the person that you are trying to engage in conversation with.  If the truth be told the whole vibe is frenetic.  People are pumped up with the possibility of doing business and all the opportunities that abound – everywhere.  For me, whilst this is all very exciting, it’s just not conducive to doing good business.

I need to have a ‘one on one’ meeting with the individual where we can sit quietly and I can find out who they are and what it is that they do.  Where I can have a glimpse of the persona and get a ‘feeling’ of the person.  You see at some point I will most probably be referring this person to the people in my data base or referring people in my data base to this person, which ultimately means that my credibility will also be on the line.

People have often likened this meeting to an interview and I suppose on some levels it is, except that we are both ‘interviewing’ each other.  We both get to tell the story of who we are, what it is that we do, what our passion is and where we could possibly fit into each others networks.

Quite honestly you will be amazed just how much synergy people have with each other irrespective of how little it would appear to be at first glance.

Actually, if the truth be told – when people show reluctance to meet with me or constantly ‘forget’ our appointment, it is a clear indication to me, that they have no idea about the concept of networking. 

As they say in the classics, ‘every picture tells a story’ and in Networking this picture is crystal clear.

So the next time someone asks to set up a ‘one on one’ meeting with you – take the challenge and meet with them, you’ll be amazed at what comes out of that meeting.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za  or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za