How to Excel at Startup Networking

Guest post contributed by Marta Segal Block, Editor of GrouponWorks.

We may think of social networking as a new Internet-driven thing, but the truth is that networking, the art of utilizing people you know to help you find what you need, much like matchmaking, has been around for a long time.

What people frequently misunderstand about networking is that successful networking isn’t necessarily about what you can do for someone, or about your connections. Instead, it’s helping people find the people who can help them.

If you think about it, your good friend probably shares a lot of your experiences and connections. But he probably doesn’t know your former work acquaintance. Good networking isn’t about connecting your good friend to another good friend, it’s about connecting people who otherwise wouldn’t be connected. Take these examples:

• A former co-worker asked me if I knew of anyone who might be interested in taking on a leadership role in her new organization. I didn’t know anyone, but introduced her to two other people I thought might know someone. One of those people gave her some suggestions about where to look, the other offered to pass her information along to a third person.

• At the end of a conversation, I mentioned a need I had to a business acquaintance. She put me in touch with someone she thought could help. That person put me in touch with others who could help. One of those people actually couldn’t help, but instead, connected me with someone he knew. That person, three steps removed from my original connection, is going to help me (and help himself in the process).