In my experience, people fall into one of two networking categories.  It’s an incredibly important distinction because the professionals in the first category tend to fail miserably at networking, while those in the second find their career blossoming because of their networking activity. 

The first type is what I call the transactional networker.  People that follow this philosophy see networking as a series of brief encounters; and the goal of each encounter is to get something from it.  These are the people at networking events who pass out as many cards as possible and get as many as they can.  They are on the hunt for those that can use their products and services right away, or know someone who can.  They’ll help other people out, but only if they see it leading to mutual back-scratching.

Often, this isn’t because they are bad people, but rather because they haven’t been taught any other way.  They read a book or heard from someone that networking is about meeting as many people as possible, so they are doing just that.  Transactional networkers tend to ask for business immediately, and can be relatively aggressive.  They view networking as simply a numbers game – the goal is to talk to everyone so they can find as many prospects as they can.  This leads to a short term view of networking because they are in it for the here and now.

The relational networker takes a more long-term approach to their networking activities.  As the name implies, they are focused on building a relationship with the people they meet.  They find out how they can be of service to the people in their network and create strong ties by actively helping their contacts first, without expecting a direct referral in response.

These networkers find more long-term success through their networking because they view each relationship as an investment for the future.  As they get to know their network better and better, there are more opportunities for mutual benefit.  Because it’s not necessary for there to be payback in the immediate future, relational networkers are able to develop a web of connections in which each person is invested in the success of the others.

Looking at networking as a relational versus transactional process is incredibly beneficial.  If that’s the case, though, why don’t more professionals take a relational approach to their networking?  The main reason is that relational networking is by its very nature, long-term.  Business relationships, like any other relationships, take time to build.  Therefore, impatience is the biggest challenge to building a strong network.  That's why so many people fall into the bad habits of transactional networking.

By being aware of these pitfalls, though, you can focus on building your network the right way.  Just like a farmer cultivates the fields for a huge payoff at the end of the summer, spend the time and energy to build your relationships and strengthen the ties to your connections.  When you do this you will find that networking will become a key part of your business development.