Business Networking and Sex - Ivan Misner [65]
Whether you’re a fan of structured or unstructured events really doesn’t matter. What does matter is how thoroughly you develop your relationships in each of the organizations you connect with. Are you doing more than just showing up? Have you taken a leadership role in any of them? What is your investment beyond money? Good networking takes time. Ask yourself how much time you have to invest and where you’d like to invest it.
Women rated women-focused networking groups, such as NAWBO, E-Women, ABWA, and others, as their favorite places to network. There are several reasons why women prefer to belong to all-female networking groups.
• They want to network for more than business; rather, they want support and shared experiences with other businesswomen.
• Those who work at home want to be able to socialize and connect with other women.
• Many women are intimidated by men.
• Women are looking for female mentors and advisors with whom they feel more comfortable than male mentors.
• Many women feel, rightfully so, that men do not believe they are serious about their businesses.
• Women want to build relationships with other women.
• Women want to be able to address the whole slew of material they would not be comfortable addressing if men were around.
These are just a few of the reasons women seek all-female networking groups, as described by our study participants:
Earlier in my career, I belonged to an executive women’s service club. During that membership, I was fired from a very good job. I went to the club meeting with my tail between my legs, stood up to introduce myself as we always did for each other, and told them about my day. By the end of the meeting, those women had three appointments for me for new jobs! It was wonderful.
Women enjoy and gain confidence networking with other women; some women (especially younger women) are still intimidated by men in mixed business networking groups. Some men still question why we started a group for women and why can’t they have one for men. They forget that “old boys’” groups have been in operation for a long time.
I am on the board of directors for the Professional Women’s Council, a division of the chamber where every other week approximately 90 women meet and network. There is definitely something to be said about the energy in that room! The women who are dedicated to the Council and attend regularly show such love and compassion for all the members. It makes doing business much easier!
My women entrepreneur network feels like a true support network.
While there are many women who love networking with all-female groups, there are just as many who do not. Here are some of their comments:
I found women-only events to be very poor and not what I would truly consider “networking.” If you cannot communicate with the opposite sex, maybe you should reconsider your suitability for business.
As a woman, I prefer attending a networking meeting that has at least 50 percent women in attendance.
There are those of us who love snow and mountains and those who prefer sunny beaches. There are also those who like both. It’s just a personal preference. It is neither right nor wrong as long as people understand the expectations of the groups they join. If the purpose of the group is support, then make sure you understand that when you join.
The best referrals come from people you build relationships with. For women, the relationship part comes naturally. Just remember that you have to actually have the referral conversation with your network if you expect to get referrals.
Wow, there seems to be some confusion here! Men seem to forget that they have had all-male networking groups for a very long time. Rotary International has been all-male since it was founded in 1905 and did not vote to allow women into its very prestigious network until the late 1980s. Unlike the women-only groups