by Bev Bachelthree cords plugged in, lights above cords

If you’re like me, you typically think about networking as a way to get more of what you want. In my case, writing-related work. Since I have to earn enough each month to make my house payment, pay my bills, and fund my retirement account—no small feat in these challenging economic times—finding work is a constant. Thank goodness for my network.

Finding work is a constant. Thank goodness for my network.

But it dawned on me this morning that the power of my network is actually twofold: not only does it help me find work, it saves me from doing work.

Here’s an example: I’m coaching local author John Capecci on how to market his new book, Living Proof: Telling Your Story to Make a Difference, which will be published early next year. Rather than trying to figure out on my own the best way to go about sending out review copies, I e-mailed two other Twin Cities writers—Marly Cornell and Diane Autey, both of whom were recently involved in publishing books—and asked for advice.

Both responded immediately. Marly e-mailed me thoughtful responses to my specific questions, and Diane sent me a publisher’s list of questions to reviewers, as well as the book’s sell sheet. I’m guessing it took Marly 15 minutes to compose her e-mail, and five minutes for Diane to find the information she forwarded.

Marly and Diane are happy because they know they can count on me the next time they need a favor, John’s happy because he’s getting tried-and-true advice, and I’m happy because I saved a few hours of time and finished my day in time to go for a walk.

As I learned long ago, being an effective networker doesn’t mean acquiring a stack of business cards or, a colleague once bragged, holding 57 meetings with people she’d met at networking events.
To me, networking is not about contacts but about connections. And with the right connections, everything else—from coming up with a great title to finding an agent or publisher, from submitting a grant proposal to creating a website, from developing characters to learning how to write dialogue—becomes a whole lot easier.

Here are some tips for developing a network of positive connections that can help you generate more (and less):

1. Show up. Take a Loft class, go to a reading, hang out at your neighborhood coffee shop. Good things happen when you get out and about. Turn off your phone, and don’t let distractions keep you from engaging with others or make you inattentive to what they have to say. The rule I’ve set for myself: have a real conversation with a person near me before succumbing to the temptation to check my e-mail or return a phone call.

2. Show up early. Anyone who knows me knows I’m never early, so this is definitely a case of do what I say, not what I do. Arriving early gives you time to get comfortable and introduce yourself.

3. Have a plan. A painfully shy teenager, I know how scary it feels to walk into a room, even one filled with fellow writers you know and like. I still get anxious when it comes to meeting new people, which is why I always have specific goals: introduce myself to at least three new people, come away with a list of five new books, learn a tip to help improve my novel’s pacing. Having specific goals forces me to reach out to others.

4. Ask people about themselves. People appreciate it when others take an interest in them. One easy way is by coming up with two or three questions that are sure to ignite conversation. Some effective networkers draw these questions from the news (e.g., What did you think of last night’s Twins game?), while I prefer questions that are more evergreen (e.g., What’s the next book you plan to buy?).

5. Offer your best. Valuable connections are made when approached with a mind-set of giving, not taking. That means thinking ahead of time about what you have to offer—and remembering to offer it, even if you’re never asked. Just because I’m helping someone for free, doesn’t mean I give him any less than I give my paying clients. I stay up late to review résumés, and I get up early to help with grant proposals. In short, I treat everything I do with equal professionalism.

6. Expect the best from others in return. Some pretty remarkable things have happened to me because of this approach. I found the publisher of my first book because I not only expected her to take my call, I expected her to like my idea. If I hadn’t had these expectations, I never would have had the courage to call her in the first place.

7. Smile. If all else fails, smile. Smiling is a universal language that attracts others and puts people at ease, so even if you’re not comfortable on the inside, you’ll come across as inviting on the outside. And smiles are a gift that keeps on giving: the more you smile, the happier you feel; the happier you feel, the more you smile.

8. Say thank you. These two simple words are underused. Not only do they show appreciation, they help build a bridge to more positive, long-term relationships. Research shows that what took place along the way is superseded by your last interaction. So even if you didn’t make a good first impression, saying thank you—in words, as well as actions—can guarantee that you leave a good last impression.

 

 

 

Bev Bachel (bev.bachel@ideagirls.com) is a freelance writer and author whose network includes dozens of writers she met in Loft classes or at readings, some of whom she’s helped and some of whom have helped her.