TEQ Magazine, November 2008
 

Start Me Up -- The Importance of Networking

By Mike Matesic, CEO of Idea Foundry

Entrepreneurs who want to improve their net worth need to network.  There's no way around this simple fact.

Yet for some startup leaders, the very idea of wading into a room full of strangers -- each of whom appears to be lifelong friends with everyone else in the room -- can be frightening and intimidating.  So how to get over that hurdle, jump into the pool of potential contacts and clients, and start swimming?

Kevin Orzechowski, CEO of Simon Shows, once found himself in that deer-in-the-headlights scenario but has since worked out a number of techniques that have helped him build an impressive -- and productive -- list of contacts.

"I never used to like networking," Orzechowski admitted.  "I always considered it a hard thing to get comfortable with.  Simon Shows was spun out of another company, so I immediately found myself in an entrepreneurial space, heavy in technology, and didn't know what to do at first to build my network.  One of the first things I did was lure people to talk with me by inviting them to lunch.  This led to them opening up their networks to me, while I picked their brains for an hour."

Names and referrals in hand, Orzechowski said he then followed the basic common-sense rules of networking.  He attended numerous industry events, setting a goal of talking to a target number of people.  "I still try to meet the goal of walking out of any networking event with at least three good leads," he said.  But that's only the first step.  As important as collecting business cards and making handshake introductions may be, Orzechowski advised that diligent follow up can be even more essential.

"It's like the basics of public relations -- you need to stay in front of people," he said.  "But even that can be a hard line to deal with.  How much contact is too much?  You don't want to become a pest.  That's why e-mail is such a great thing.  You can send your message, but the recipient still feels in control of viewing or responding to it."

Orzechowski pursued a project this summer that employed aspects of networking.  He put together a music festival, and used online invitations to get people on his contact list to either attend in person or view a video of the event he posted on You Tube.

"I had good response, and even got some business out of it," he said.  "Sometimes it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to generate new business, once you have a good contact list built.  The music festival and You Tube combination gave me a novel way to connect again with my contacts."

Networks must never become stale or stagnant, though.  And living and conducting business in Pittsburgh has some distinct advantages in that regard, as Orzechowski explained.

"I've seen how networks can expand pretty rapidly, especially around here," he said.  "In my experience, just by getting to know two or three key people, I think I've gotten to meet most of the important contacts in town.  That's because Pittsburgh is a pretty close-knit community.  There aren’t six degrees of separation here -- it's more like one or two.  But you have to take the initiative. 

"And another thing - people don't want to network with you if you don't follow up with the leads they give you.  You don't want someone to feel as though you're wasting their time and effort, because in a small circle of contacts, that word can get around quickly, too."

After all, companies don't talk with other companies.  Buildings don't talk with other buildings.  It still comes down to people, looking each other in the eye, offering a firm handshake, and using body language and verbiage to begin a relationship or seal a deal.  In other words, being dedicated to constant and productive networking.

And as far as tamping down that initial wave of terror upon entering a target-rich room of complete strangers?

"It can be tough, I'll admit," Orzechowski said.  "But whenever I walk into a room full of people and I don't know anyone, I look for someone who appears to be as uncomfortable as me.  I'll go over and say something like, 'This is nuts, isn't it?  We're supposed to be meeting people.  By the way, my name's Kevin.'  And from there, at least we can commiserate about networking and get a conversation going."