If there is one term I hate more than anything else, it is networking.
Let’s think about what exactly networking is. Common example:
You run a company and attend an SEO conference to network with like-minded people. You pay $5000 plus flights, room, incidentals to attend this conference in hopes that you will get more business and form relationships with people that could further your interests.
Sure, you might make some friends but that is just a bonus.
The entire goal is to meet people for financial gain.
That financial gain might be to find a job, sell your software, or get a better deal from vendors. Either way, you are not there to make friends. When was the last time you attend a conference with the primary intention of helping someone achieve their goals?
You put on your best suit, dig up your nicest stock marketing materials, maybe even get a manicure for a soft, yet firm handshake.
You are told to smile, be personable, nod your head and project a positive demeanor. You listen to peoples elevator pitches, you take people to lunch, you collect business cards and put peoples contact information into your iPhone.
It is all a hoax, it is a huge game and one that I don’t like to play.
But let me just clarify for a second, I have no issues with this, I just say lets call it what it is: sizing people up to see how they can fit into your business. It is capitalism in action.
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