events
Jo Parfitt networks with Nina du Pre at Connecting Women Sept 2010, photo by Stephanie Ward
I like to consider myself to be a natural networker and realised this week that I have been on the board of a networking group for 12 years. In fact, when I think I about it, I first became aware of the importance of networking when I heard Donna Messer say the immortal words: ‘it’s not what you know but who you know that makes your business grow,’ at the WIN conference in Milan in the 90′s.
I have been writing for over 20 years and as a journalist I know that my articles and books are enhanced by the quotes I can include from the experts I have met along the way. Now that I focus on helping other people to get their writing published I always encourage my students to get out there and build relationships with people so that they can then approach them later for comments for their work.
As someone who has made a living from writing I am well aware that Donna Messer is absolutely right. The more people I know, the more I can write about. The more people I know, the more ideas I have. The more people I know, the richer my information sources, the more people I know I can ask. And when I know a lot of people that means that a lot of people know about me.
One of the best ways for a writer to build their network fast is to attend a conference where the speakers and workshop leaders will cover areas that they would like to write about . The best conferences are places where the delegates too provide a rich source of contacts and information. As someone who specialises in careers, particularly portable careers for people overseas, I am a big fan of the Women’s International Networking Conference (WIN) and next month I will attend for the seventh time. Just three days among some of the most creative, fascinating women from all over the world will keep my muse and contacts book fed for a whole year. As someone who specialises in expat life I also attend the Families in Global Transition conference, and next year will go for the seventh time too. But I go one step further. I don’t just attend these conferences, I speak at them too. Standing up in front of an audience is one of the best ways of promoting myself and raising my profile. Better still, these conferences have bookshops too, where speakers can sell their books, so I take advantage of that too.
In the photo above, you see me at Connecting Women, a network I have chaired for 2 years and for which I have been on the board for 5. Last night I was the speaker too, speaking about, guess what? Networking!
If you are serious about getting published and making a living as a writer you need topics and people to write about, you need people to know about you and approach you with your stories. So, go on, get networking.
