In one case, she and her boss were working on a new product launch that required him to run a series of meetings. They noticed that during those meetings, people would always direct questions to him, even though she had taken on many of the responsibilities. “So we decided that I would start leading the meetings,” Aspras said. “Now people are starting to look to me more. It’s a small change with a big impact.”
Another change that might have an impact on a woman’s network-building is a name change upon marriage, said Aspras, who decided not to change her name. “The name of your brand is important,” she said. “You don’t always know when people are going to see your name.”
Aspras suspects that this decision paid off when she applied for her current job. “I later found out that there were folks I had previously worked with at another company who are now at Glaxo, and they had said good things about me because they recognized my name on my resume. So if and when you get married, consider either not changing your name, or if you do, which is totally fine … keep your maiden name on [your resume], because some people know you by that name.”
Another tip for sustainable networking: It is not enough to be known; one must also be memorable. Panellist Sheetal Rajpal, a director of share management at PepsiCo, believes that passion is the key.
“People want to know you on a personal level. Don’t be all business all the time,” she said. “You’re passionate about something outside of work, and passion transcends everything…. Whenever I’m talking about something that I’m passionate about, people relate to that. It’s contagious, and they can’t help but love you… So take advantage of that. [It] will make you memorable, and that will help you in the long run.”
Panellist Jane DeFlorio, a managing director at Deutsche Bank in New York, agrees that being memorable is important. “You’ve got to find a thing that makes you different,” said DeFlorio, who spoke on the “relationships” panel. “My hook around the office is that I wear the crazy outfits…. I become useful because I’m a little bit different, a little bit crazy, but it works…. I have found that being a touch different helps me stand out.”
But to maintain long-term relationships, remembering others is just as vital, said DeFlorio, who stressed the importance of organisation while networking. “I take copious notes on people I meet,” she said. “Whether it’s a three=hour client meeting or I’m at a dinner party and I’m sitting next to someone interesting whom I would like to get to know or develop a relationship going forward, I will send myself emails. I have found myself in the bathroom of restaurants after [meeting] with a client leaving myself voicemails about what we had talked about that night, because I’m not going to remember it the next day.”
DeFlorio takes notes on everything: “Interests outside of work, the fact that he likes to skydive, the fact that she likes needlepoint…. Just by keeping notes on what people care about, you will constantly find excuses to be back in front of them.”
Above all, maintaining relationships is a social activity — and networking becomes the most sustainable when it is fun. “I look at my job as one big social exercise, quite frankly,” DeFlorio said. “I very much meld my personal and my business lives together.” Her number-one tip for building relationships — one she wishes she had learned earlier in life is to “learn how to throw a great party. If you really focus on building a social side … you bring people to you.”
