Membership Networking:
Who do you know … Or want to know?
by Dennis R. Hall
Institute Membership Committee

Networking is often touted as one of the opportunities afforded membership in professional organizations such as CSI, but how many really understand what effective networking is really all about?  Too frequently, people associate networking with sales, but they are as different as farming (planting seeds) and hunting (exploiting opportunities).

At a recent West Region Conference, I attended a networking seminar given by Michael Goldberg of Building Blocks Consulting that helped clarify a number of misunderstandings I had concerning networking. The following is what I know, what I’ve learned, and what I continue to learn about networking within CSI.

Creating relationships is essential to being successful in today’s construction industry.  Given this, most of us are not born networkers.  We develop our networking skills through education, training, the right attitude, and long practice.  Whether attending a CSI gathering, making a sales call, or interacting in a business setting, networking is less about who you know and more about who you want to know.  It’s clear to me, CSI Membership is not a Spectator Sport.

What is Networking?

• “Word-of-Mouth” marketing or a referral-based campaign.
• A proactive approach to meeting quality people with the prospect of learning from them and helping them.
• Giving, not taking.  This means learning about and helping others.
• Prospecting.  After building a level of comfort and trust, business may take place – not necessarily right then, but later.

Networking is not about selling your product or service.  Sales takes place at sales meetings.  As you become more comfortable meeting and helping new people in your life, you create a gateway for those looking to buy at some point in the future.  It’s always easier to make a sale wh en your prospects are looking to buy.  Ask yourself this question…What am I doing in my business that creates the need for prospects to buy or refer business to me?

Bear in mind that people have to like and trust you and your competence (e.g., CSI certifications) before they’ll even consider doing business with you.  If there’s no genuine rapport, the game is over.  Effective networkers all have a system that normally includes the following:

Preparation   -   Presentation   -   Follow-up   -   Maintenance

Preparation
If you are serious about networking and the added value it can bring to your CSI membership, you’ll need a plan.  Simply, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  Think about your attendance at your monthly CSI chapter meetings or events such as a chapter golf tournament.  Did you hang out with the same old people you always do as people gather before the meeting, seminar, or sit with the same people for dinner?  Did your foursome at the golf outing include anyone you hadn’t met before?  Or, did you spend most of your time at any of these events seeking out new members or guests to learn about them and how you might be able to help them on a personal level (e.g., assist them in solving a problem having nothing to do with your business, product, or professional service)?

Prior to attending any social or professional gathering, do you ever ask yourself the question, who will be in attendance and who would I like to meet?  What is the nature of the meeting?  Where do the folks I’d like to meet hang out – conferences, professional associations like CSI, chamber of commerce, etc.?  What do I need to do to hang out with the people I’d like to know?  What outcome am I looking for in attending any of these functions?  Other than business cards and a couple of throw-away pens, should I have something else with me?  How can I learn from the new people I want to meet and help them?  In answering these questions, you can determine whether attending the meeting, conference, or event is a good use of your time – and that of others.  And if someone interesting asks you for a business card that you forgot to bring to a CSI event, you probably haven’t prepared well for taking advantage of one of the great benefits of being an active member of CSI.

Presentation
Given that you’ve properly considered the preparation aspects of networking prior to attending your next CSI gathering…now what?  Approaching complete strangers is a daunting task for many.  Who should I talk to?  How do I start the conversation?  How can I talk about my product or service without sounding like I’m selling?  How do I react if I’m on the receiving end of a sales pitch?  How many business cards should I collect?  What if those I meet don’t like me?  How do I end the conversation gracefully?  There’s no sure thing when meeting new people because everyone is so different and we all tend to have our own agendas. 

When in doubt, always refer back to the definition of networking – learning about and helping others.  When your objective is to learn something about your target market (culture, trends, upcoming conferences, product information, related articles and publications, further contacts), you can’t lose.  Helping someone in your target market is even better.  Givers always gain and favors get returned, especially when the appropriate time comes to ask for them.  Remember, you’re looking to start a relationship initially and not make a sale when meeting someone for the first time.  Choose your attitude before arriving at the meeting.  If you are tired and cranky from a hard day at the office, don’t bring it to the CSI meeting.  Be genuine and have fun!

The best way to start a conversation is to introduce yourself, extend a firm handshake, and ask questions.  Repeat after me – it’s all about them!  So, what brings you here tonight?  Have you been here before?  How did you find out about CSI or this meeting?  What type of work do you do?  Why do you do what you do?  How are you different from the competition?  Who are your customers?  Have you worked in other industries?  What do you do for fun?  How can we help one another?  This should shift the conversation to your business and initiatives.  Briefly give an overview of what you do and how you help others.   This overview is sometimes referred to as an “elevator speech” that should be well thought out and memorized.  To a new person, it’s your first indication of what you do and what you may be able to do for them.  Hopefully, they’ll ask question that are as good as yours.

If there is a good connection and you think you can help one another, exchange business cards, commit to following up, put some follow-up notes on the back of the business card you collected, shake hands, and say your goodbyes.  Your objective is not to see if you can win the evening prize for the most business cards collected.  And conversely, don’t give someone your business card unless they ask for it.  If you’re really brave, ask for an introduction to someone they know at the event that you want to know.  Believe it or not, all this should take place in no more than 7-10 minutes (without looking at your watch!).

Follow-up
Using a chapter products fair as an example, hopefully, you have made a few connections with people you felt comfortable with and, if all went well, you exchanged a few business cards.  Now what?  Wait until you run into some of these new people by chance at another CSI gathering and hope you remember their name?

Not following up with good connections you’ve made at a CSI event is the same as not attending the event at all.  Maybe when you get home that evening, or back to the office the next day, you neatly arrange all the business cards you collected on your desk.  Hmmm…what now?  Again, CSI Membership is not a Spectator Sport.

Most connections we make have a shelf life, so it’s a good practice to get back in touch within a few days if possible.  When you do this with those you may have bonded with, it can make a great second impression.  But remember, you are looking to start a relationship initially, not sell something.  Review the notes you made on the backs of those business cards you’ve collected at the chapter products fair or monthly dinner meeting.  If there are notes on the back of the card, it either means you made a promise to someone, they made a promise to you, or there’s a good connection – you like them, you can help them in some way, they can help you, or both.  Follow up with an e-mail or call to discuss a mutual area of interest or just to say you enjoyed meeting the person and look forward to seeing them again in the future.  Of course, always make good on any promises or commitments you may have made.   

Maintenance
This is simply developing a system to keep all of the contacts in your database up to date and refreshed.  You may have a database set up in a software program like Outlook, Act, or Rolodex.  It doesn’t really matter how you keep your contacts current and updated.  What does matter is that you do.

Once a month try to review the contact in your database, adding names, contact information, and other details from the stack of business cards you have accumulated over the month.  Make a list of the people you need to touch base with over the course of the month.  It’s a nice way to keep in touch with people and keep you connections up to date.  There may be contact information that needs to be updated or names that need to be deleted – a natural byproduct of networking.  All in all, your personal network developed through active participation in CSI activities becomes a valuable resource that you can always access for information, advice and, potentially, business.

Remember that CSI Membership is not a Spectator Sport!  Developing a personal networking system will add tremendous value to your CSI membership and the personal friendships you will naturally develop

Dennis R. Hall

For the past seven years Mr. Hall has been involved in the development and implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies in architectural practice.  He has successfully managed the implementation of BIM as the primary design and production platform at Martinez + Cutri Architects in San Diego, California.  The Martinez + Cutri transition to BIM has included the collaborative work of design team consultants, transition to MasterFormat 2004, and the integration of specifications and cost estimating technologies linked to BIM. 
Active in AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice BIM efforts, Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) National BIM Standards Task Team, and the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) BIM related investigations, Mr. Hall is also the CSI West Region Membership Chair, member of the Institute Membership Committee, and a board member of the CSI San Diego Chapter.