Tess Woodcraft, The Centre www.charitycomms.org.uk/events

1. Networking and representing
your organisation
Tess Woodcraft

2. • Knowledgeable people know
facts
• Successful and prosperous
people know people

3. Networking –
a quick Cooke’s tour
• Skills, knowledge and aptitudes you need
to be a good networker
• Networking strategy – build it into your
communications strategy
• Where are your networks?
• Networking at events (and the importance
of follow up)
• Social networking (online)

4. What skills, knowledge and
aptitudes do you need to be an
effective representative for your
organisation?

5. Skills
• Networking skills
– Communication skills
– Listening skills
– Questionning skills
– Meeting skills
– Planning skills

6. Knowledge and understanding
• Needs and aspirations of your stakeholders
• Your organisation’s
– Role
– Niche/postitioning
– Brand values
– Vision, values, key messages
• Strategic thinking around networking and
ambassadorial role – understand that being
better connected is essential

7. Aptitudes
• Be outward facing
• Be friendly
• Be loyal
• Be organised

8. Being strategic about
‘ambassadors’ and networking
• Build ‘representing work’ into your PR
strategy
– Recognise the benefits of being outward facing
and connected
– Put in place objectives for 'ambassadors'
– Identify ambassador opportunities
– Train your representatives
– Give them the tools they need
– Ensure that ambassadors bring back
information and contacts into the organisation
– Your organisation – a networking hub?

9. Your networks
Current job
Friends
and family
Partners’ YOU
contacts
Past jobs;
Past
Local: Clubs, education
politics, church/
mosque/Temple; Other
hobbies; local
contacts eg
children’s school On-line
networks

10. Networking events
• How do you prepare?

11. Preparation is the key
Networks are about sharing. Every successful person
was helped by others - make it easy for people to
help you. So………..
• Who do you want to meet
• What do you want to find out about
• What do you need to tell people about
• what would you like to ask for:
– Advice
– A contact/referral
– A business card
– An opinion
– Clarification

12. The magic bullet……
How do you introduce your organisation? How do
you introduce yourself?
You need a ‘magic bullet’.
• Succinct – 10 – 15 seconds
• Self-explanatory and ultra-simple.
• Actively transfer specific information.
• Immediately and obviously beneficial.
• Memorable
• Appeal to heart and head

13. At the event
Remember:
Networking is farming, not hunting

14. Confidence at the event
• Learn to play host:
– introduce new people to a group
– explain what you’re discussing
– offer refreshments
– offer to introduce others
• Have some conversation starters to hand
• Reintroduce yourself to people
• Learn how to get away from a conversation
elegantly

15. Networking – follow up
• Thanks
• Acknowledgement
• Keep in touch
• Ask for help
• Offer help

16. Social networking

17. What is social networking?
• The term used to describe online networking
opportunities:
– Facebook/LinkedIn
– Blogging
– Interactive websites
– Twitter
– Flickr
– Emailing
– Texting
– You Tube
– On-line chat (eg Mumsnet)

18. Find out where the
conversations/people are
• Use:
– Your current networks
– Search tools
• For blogs: www.technorati.com, samepoint.com
• For Twitter: http://search.twitter.com
• For podcasts: itunes, BBC, search Google
• For online chat rooms/forums – search Google
• For Facebook groups: search Facebook
• For online news: www.mediacloud.com
• For useful /popular websites: www.delicious.com
• Go straight to where people are
» You Tube
» Facebook
» Flickr
» Twitter

19. Establish your presence
• Set up a blog (use WordPress)
• Upload a video (upload onto You Tube)
• Join Twitter – tweet yourself, follow others
• Join Facebook
• Upload photos on Flickr