“Your network is who you know. Your reputation is who knows you.” Rob Brown (Build Your Reputation)
In my work running in-house business development training academies for large accounting firms, I’m often asked what one skill, quality or talent, if mastered, makes everything else easier. The answer is NETWORKING.
For an accountant and for life, networking is a fundamental skill. It cuts across all aspects of business and ultimately defines your career opportunities and financial success. The ability to know and be known is vital for your choices, your reputation and your wealth.
The obvious benefit of networking for accountants in practice is more sales and business. The winning /employability package is a technically strong accountant who is confident and effective at winning work. Such animals are rare, and usually get promoted, make partner, get hired and get chosen for the best work.
Drive opportunities for growth
If you ask top accounting leaders and influencers (as I do on the Top 100 Club podcast) what makes good accounting firms great, the answer is often the capacity to win more of the right kind of work. To achieve this, networking, referrals and reputation drive growth opportunities.
Aside from winning more business, raising your profile and enhancing your career prospects, there are plenty of other benefits to networking. Market knowledge, industry insights and fresh ideas come from networking. So do friendships, encouragement and support. So do new suppliers, advisors and providers. So do potential investors, business partners, new staff and specialist skills.
The trouble is, most technically strong accountants struggle with softer skills like engaging connections, building relationships and raising profile. That’s why I’ll be delivering this presentation at Accountex 2018 in a few weeks: “7 Different but Equally Effective Networking Strategies for Accountants to Raise Their Profile and Win More Work”
Unique networking strategy
The style of presentation will be with seven case studies showcasing seven accountants who each successfully adopted a unique networking strategy to achieve their goals. Each approach played to their strengths, built their confidence, raised their profile and, where required, helped them to effectively win work.
No previous networking is assumed, so you can be a complete networking newbie and get huge benefit from this. And if you are more experienced, this guide will take you deeper into what it takes to be a more confident and effective networker.
Whether you’re male or female, introvert or extrovert, young or old, it doesn’t take as much as you think to become a much more confident, effective and successful networker. It’s a coachable skill that everyone can improve on. And best of all, there is NO ONE WAY or NO BEST WAY of networking to achieve your commercial or career objectives.
I look forward to sharing with you how. So why not get in touch with me @therobbrown and let me have your one burning networking question? Who knows, I may be able to answer it in my Accountex session on Wednesday 23 May, 11am- 11-45am.