August 2002

Networking is a numbers game

Most of you will know that I do journalism work for a range of publications all over the world. Right now I write for the Expat Living page of The Weekly Telegraph and contribute heavily to their website at http://www.expat.telegraph.co.uk. Journalists love statistics and survey results. Scattering numbers among your words neatly substantiates your comments.

So, I thought I’d share some of my favourites with you. Use them to pepper your dinner party conversations. But please, in the way of all good journalists and networkers, try to quote the source too.

I have just had the good fortune to join the Ecademy virtual network at http://www.ecademy.com. Founder Thomas Power has just published a book on networking, called ‘Networking for Life’, which I read in one sitting. In his introduction, Power invites the reader to scribble on the pages, underline things and make notes. I have to say that I read the book with a green highlighter pen in my hand, there was so much I wanted to remember.

Power claims that for every £100,000 you want to earn a year you need to know 1,000 people. Wow! He also says that he has over 1,000 face to face meetings a year, and that his meetings in the last 12 months were directly responsible for earning the Ecademy £750,000 worth of business. So, does that mean that each meeting earns him £75? Far from it. Power has another great statistic for us. He has worked out that only two per cent of his contacts bring him business. But that two per cent delivers in spades.

It is also believed that people do 80 per cent of their business with people who live within two miles of their front door. This shows that you should focus on your local network before your international network.

You know how I’m always going on about how good networkers have to give before they can hope to receive? Well, Power has calculated that it takes 98 gives to get two takes. It doesn’t seem to be much of a return on investment does it? But that’s what networking is all about. We give and give and then, someday, we receive.

Research shows that we have to connect with someone seven times before he will do business with us. So that means we have to attend a new networking club seven times, or send a new contact seven emails, before anything may come of the relationship. Interesting isn’t it?

Power says that we need to meet 20 new people every week if we are to stay in with a chance. One of the best ways to ‘meet’ people quickly, of course, is virtually, which is why the Ecademy concept is so terrific. Boasting over 25,000 members all over the world (though admittedly mainly in the UK so far) this network works. Try it for yourself. It’s free to join. Go and make a comment in my guest book!

In a recent article in Reader’s Digest there was an article by Marc Myers, which said that the luckiest people are those with the most contacts. It stands to reason that the more people you know the more opportunities that are likely to come your way.

If you want to stay ahead in the business game, then you need to start building your contact database so that it grows by 1,000 every year. My database has 4,000 in it. I’m not sure if that’s good or not! What about yours?If you need to touch people seven times then the best excuse for getting in contact again is to give out some information. That’s why online discussion forums are so valuable. Find some that are in an appropriate line of business and contribute as much as you can. Ask questions, answer questions and throw in snippets of information regularly. By the time you have given 98 times you should be in line for some luck.

Happy counting
Jo Parfitt
Believe in blue sky

Let me introduce you to

Of course I have to introduce you to Ecademy, which can be found at http://www.ecademy.com, but I’d also like to tell you about Ecademy Press, the network’s publishing arm. I met Michael Harrison, Philippa Harrison and Jan Kolasinski (that’s only 997 left to meet this year now) of Ecademy Press this week. I was impressed with the service they offer authors wanting to produce a business book that is printed on demand and has a web presence too. Take a look at what they do at http://www.ecademypress.com.

I also met Lesley Everett, the author of a brand new book called Walking Tall (only 996 to go now). I met her at a seminar for professional speakers led by Nigel Risner. Lesley’s book is all about how you can create total image impact, so that when you have your 1000 meetings, touch people seven times and build your relationships, you will increase your chances of success. It really is a terrific book, and will help anyone, male or female, to understand their personal style and appreciate the importance of voice, body language and culture. This bright yellow book has a giraffe on the cover, the perfect metaphor to help you too stand out in a crowd.

What’s new on the website

This month I’ve put three, free, downloadable ebooks on my website. So do go along and help yourself. They are called:

So, you want to write a book?
So, you want to be inspired?
So. you want a portable career?

I am also delighted to have received three great articles from London based life coach and columnist, Arvind Devalia. You will find ‘Clear the Clutter from Your Life’ and ‘Attitude for Gratitude’ in the Find Your Passion section and ‘Get into Action’ in the Make it Happen section. Arvind is a great and generous networker, so do take a look at his website at http://www.nirvanacoaching.com

A place to stay in Barcelona

Finally, if you are ever in need of a place to stay in Barcelona that is a stone’s throw from Gaudi’s Pedrera. Val Collins runs the great writer’s website Worlds Apart Review and has two bedrooms available, both with air conditioning and tea and coffee making facilities. Only €80 a night per room (€50 single occupancy). You can contact Val direct on valeriecollins@menta.net.

What’s happening in September, October and November

This is where you will find me later this year:

SEPTEMBER
On September 4th I will be speaking about Find your passion at Buy the Book in Stamford, Lincs. It costs just £5 and you get a free cup of coffee AND £5 off the price of a book.

On September 19th I’ll be running Release the Book Within in London. Price £95 for bookings before 28 August.

On September 29th I’m running a networking event in London along with networking catalyst, Gwen Rhys. The event has been partly organised by Patricia Keener of the US Embassy and will take place from 4.30 – 7.30m pm. Iis being held at the Austrian Trade Commission in Exhibition Road, and costs just £15 for international partners and £40 for sponsors. You can download a registration form and find out more at http://www.global-networker.com.

OCTOBER
From 2nd – 4th October you cannot afford to miss the WIN conference in Lausanne. I will be co-presenting a workshop called Grow Your Own Networks with Jacqui Tillyard, the co-ordinator for Winning Connections for Women. It will be a great event, the fifth time I have been to WIB and an opportunity for Robin Pascoe, Mary van der Boon and Gail MacIndoe fans to see them there too.

On 9th October Robin Pascoe, Hilly van Swol and myself will be co-presenting at another Expatica HR event, this time in Frankfurt.

On 10th October I will be running an expatriate writing workshop in Frankfurt at Fit For Germany, thanks to the organisation of Joke Naughton, who runs www.frankfurtexpat.com. Cost will be €150 for a full day, which includes lunch.

On 19th October I am running Definite Articles my article writing course, in London. Cost £95.

NOVEMBER
From 7th – 9th Nov ember I’ll be attending the annual Professional Speakers Association conference in Daventry where I will have a stand too. Find out more about this terrific event at www.professionalspeakers.org.

On 17th November I will be running Definite Articles in south Lincolnshire. Cost £80.

On 26th November I will be running Release the Book Within in south Lincolnshire. Cost £80.

Contact me for more information or to book