I’ve been asked to give a talk on cutting edge, high tech, new millennium networking techniques. As I sit down to prepare this talk, I’m trying to imagine life in the next five, ten or twenty years. I picture people walking around wearing a high tech tool belt. Hanging from the belt will be ones cell phone, beeper, palm pilot IV, minifax, broad band widget and decoder ring and multi-lingual translator digital ray gun. I’m doing a virtual squint to see if there is a compartment for business cards on the tool belt. Will people wearing intergalactic gloves still shake hands upon meeting? Will air kisses waft into the ozone? Will chamber of commerce after-hour events be held in space stations? And, if so, will there be valet parking for your hover craft? I don’t have the answers to any of these questions. As my stock broker said to me after I sold stock per his advice that immediately went up in value, “No one has a crystal ball.”

One thing I do know. We’ll never outgrow our need for networking. Supposedly, 80% of business comes from personal contacts. Technology has provided us with ACT! Goldmine and other whiz bang programs that keep track of contacts and remind us to give Joe Whoozie Whatsis a call on the 14th at 2 P.M. Our printers can spew a slew of mail merged letters. We can broadcast e-mail or fax to thousands with the push of a button.

Is this the face of networking in the 21st century? If so, networking will be an impersonal, vanilla endeavor. If this is the face of networking, let it just be one side of the face. I say, turn the other networking cheek. Let’s go boldly back to the future. I suggest with all the high tech means of staying in contact, we need high touch, more personal, homey connections. So even though you have all the bells and whistles, take the time to differentiate yourself by getting up close and personal. Here are a few low tech ideas for high tech times.

1. Send five handwritten notes a day. Every book and article on networking emphasizes the power of sending a handwritten note following a transaction. How many handwritten notes do you get? I bet not many. Therefore, if few people send notes, you can stand out from the e-mail mavens by jotting down a few words, slapping a stamp on the envelope and dropping the note in the mail slot. A few rules for note writers are be brief, send immediately, don’t sell in your note and do send for any reason. For instance, send a note:

After a first meeting. “I enjoyed meeting you at the ball game the other night. I’d like to hear more about your invention.”

After a sale. “Thanks for choosing our firm. I’ll be in touch to make sure you’re happy with your hammock. I’ll let the phone ring several times in case you’re using your hammock.”

After a rejection. “Even though we couldn’t do business together now, I hope we’ll be able to work together in the future.”

When you spot something that would intrigue the contact. For instance, “I saw this article on The Big Trout Lodge. Knowing how much you like to fly fish, I thought you’d be interested.”

When you’re traveling. Send a picture post card. “Boston is lovely this time of year. I picked up some good ideas for you at the conference I attended here.”

2. Get involved in organizations. Serve on a committee or board. One thing that overwhelms people about networking is the number of contacts one can make. A large chamber of commerce after-hours can corral 900 people who all appear to know each other. To narrow the field, get more visibility and be on equal turf with the movers and shakers, get actively involved. A few pointers are:

Choose an organization that you believe in as well as will promote your goals. You’ll lose credibility if you join the NRA just because meeting Charlton Heston might launch your acting career.

Before you jump in, meet the board president for coffee to find out about the organization and how you might best serve. In fact, you can meet individually with several board members. Follow up with a handwritten note. (Nagging is my forte.)

Attending meetings is a start, but it’s not involvement. Get on a committee. Don’t just sit there. Do something! Offer ideas. Your ideas are as good as any seasoned member. Your ideas are probably fresher. You aren’t hemmed in by the organization’s musty traditions.

Volunteer in a way that gives you visibility. Be an official greeter at the next meeting. You wear a nifty badge and play a role. Having a role to play elevates you and eases your fear of approaching people. After all, you’ve been given the job of welcoming people. The organization is counting on you to meet and greet.

Volunteer in other ways that give you visibility. Write an article for the organization’s newsletter. Serve on the speakers’ bureau. MC an event or meeting. Give a report. Organize a directory. You’ll have license to call each member. “Hello Mr. Ziglar. This is Tom Bob Newby, Director of the Sales Sages Directory. Just wanted to double check that your address is....”

3. Jot down all your areas of expertise and all the things you need to know more about. Keep this list with you.

When you hear someone mention a challenge that your expertise addresses, offer your services. I lunched with a potential client who was about to be married. She remarked that she was a lousy cook. I offered her my fool proof lemon bar recipe that was guaranteed to induce her mother-in-law to brag uncontrollably about the great choice her son had made. The new bride and I have done lots of business together based on a firm foundation of eggs, lemon juice and butter.

Having your needs clearly in mind allows you to ask others for help. You’d be surprised how flattered people are when you ask them for help. Just don’t abuse this. Asking someone for business or a job at first meeting is not cool. But, if you were to ask someone if they knew anyone who could help you select a laptop, lawyer or listing agent, that someone would be happy to assist. In my search for a mid-sized, nonshedding golden retriever, I ran across many potential customers who were also dog lovers. One suggested I find out about Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers. Bailey, my perpetual motion puppy, and presentations galore are the results of my asking for help. Not only were the dog lovers flattered and eager to help me find the Dog O’ My Dreams, but we connected on a personal level.

Who’s Got The Time To Do Low Tech-High Touch Networking?

Make the time. Hire a high school computer whiz to send out the mass letters, e-mails and faxes. Use your time to connect with contacts on a personal level. You’ll be remembered, not for your efficiency but for your humanity, listening skills and lemon bars. It’s hard to remember the content of one e-mail among many. It’s hard to forget someone you helped or who helped you find a solution..

My Networking In The Millennium audience may be disappointed when I show up without a single new gadget to add to their technology tool belts. Oh well! I’ll just follow up with a handwritten note and a promise of 15 other ways to be remembered by being personal. It’s hard to forget someone who takes the time to hand write you a note.

If you’d like that list of 15 additional ways to keep in touch, contact Karen Susman at kdsus@aol.com. or 1/888-678-8818.

Karen Susman is a national speaker, trainer and presentation skills coach. Networking, Presentation Skills, Humor, Balance, Stress and Change are her topics. Her guidebook, 50 Ways To Improve Your Laugh Life is in its third printing, Burger King, Inc. Magazine, International Association of Business Communicators and Marriott Hotels are a few of her clients.
© 1999 Karen Susman

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