How to measure the effectiveness of your networking activities

“Nobody gets paid for networking. We all get paid on the results of our networking.”

Rob Brown, motivational speaker and networking expert

As I was writing the final few chapters of my book, Rob’s great quote about networking reminded me that successful networking takes time, money and effort. This means that you need to measure where you are having the most success with your networking efforts – so you can replicate the things you are doing right and increase the effectiveness of your future results.

Have a look at your networking goals. How will you know when you are being successful? For example, if your prime aim is to secure a new business via your networking, you can measure:

• The number of A-listers in your network where your relationship level is three or above
   
• The amount of people within your target market who you have a one to one conversation with
   
• The amount of business you receive via your network, and who the business comes from
   
• The amount of help you receive from people within your network
   

Once you have decided on your KPIs or success measures, then you need to work out how you as a business will formally track - both for individuals and teams - the results of your networking activities.

• Will you use your business's CRM system?
   
• How can you make sure that everyone is recording information in the same way?
   
• Who will collate and aggregate the results over time so that the business can see what activities and where to invest the business's networking time?
   

What have I missed on measuring the effectiveness of your networking activities?