SmartMarket Media Blog

The Networking Philosophy Applies To Online Networking As Well

Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for what you have and originally being thankful for the bounty of the earth as the holiday’s history is rooted in a harvest festival.

From a business perspective “Giver’s Gain” is a philosophy that when you set goals to help others and honestly work to achieve these goals, it will come back to you ten fold as others will be looking out for you.  This is the mantra of BNI as a networking organization that is drilled into every member. If you want to receive referrals for business…you have to give referrals and be looking out for your business networking friends, associates and contacts.

Too often with online networking, people are saying “LISTEN TO ME” and are not spending enough time listening to others. Online networking shouldn’t be any different than a business after hours event at your local Chamber of Commerce or cocktail party. What you do there is engage, listen and talk in equal amounts. If there’s someone you can help, you try to set up a later time when you can get together and talk in more detail. If you hear them mention they need a certain service and you know someone at the event that provides that service – you introduce them.

It’s not everyone networking online mind you – many of my followers on Twitter hear someone mention they are looking for online video production, animation or Flash development and immediately let them know they should contact me. That’s because they know I’m always on the lookout for them. I’m constantly reading posts, comments, etc. to see how my network of connections can help each other out. Sometimes when I don’t have a ton of time to read through all of my updates I simply scan them looking for question marks to see if there is some way I can help them answer their question.

On this Thanksgiving, I’m incredibly thankful and in awe of my online and offline network of friends and business colleagues. I always feel a little humbled when someone I know recommends me or connects me with someone who needs my help, but there is no better feeling for me than when I can connect someone who needs help with the person who could provide it.

So what’s the moral to this story? Say “Thanks” to your network connections by “Giving” them a referral or valuable connection. Listen to your connections online and see how you can help them. Helping others in the long run will always come back to help you.