Advice for CEOs

In the first part of this article, I discussed basic principles of networking and presented the list of my Top 10 Rules of Networking. Below I took this opportunity to go into specifics on what you should know about each of my rules.

Twenty years ago most people if asked to define “networking” might have answered: it’s what communication engineers do using pliers to connect wires and cable. Ten years later the word had taken on the dominant meaning it has now: expanding one’s circle of business contacts and acquaintances as a platform to find new customers, partners and influencers. Now, with ubiquitous social media platforms and “meet ups” a regular feature of the business landscape, networking has become a key business process. Its importance puts it almost on par with business development, marketing and sales—especially in the worlds of entrepreneurial start ups and emerging middle market companies, venture capital, private equity and the service provider ecosystem that serves them. For these sectors networking has become the key business process.