My Network Doesn't Know Me.

Yes You Don’t Know Me. Painful.

I went to a networking event where I have spoken before. Around the time the iPhone was launched in 2007. Ancient history.

I didn’t know as many people as I thought I would.

None of the regulars came up to me and said “Hi Hank, how are you.” No strangers came up to me and said “I’ve heard of you.” I was alone in a crowd.

I suddenly recognized that I was a stranger at this event because I hadn’t been there in a while.

I can say it has been a few months but it was probably over a year.

I thought I would have networking cred but it had dissipated.

No Klout score with this group.

I was surprised, a little diminished and not aligned with my regular networking journey.

Hey I am Hank Blank. Everybody knows me was suddenly not true.

You see you earn your network in life. You don’t usurp a network and latch on to somebody else’s. You simply need to be there not once but often. Regularly. You can’t just show up from time to time.

Yes networking is work.

Your network will quickly forget you if you don’t nurture it.

You can be a legend in your own mind but not exist in the minds of others.

The memory of you is fleeting in the noise of the New Normal.

The only way to keep it present is to be present.

People often ask me which networking events are the best and I respond that all networking events at the same places are different because different folks show up at every meeting and over the course of time the people and the group can change a lot. Networking groups are constantly evolving.

It was time to focus on networking humility and rebuild my presence.

I made some corrective actions. I started attending their events on a more regular basis and I am going to speak to the group on March 10^th.

Somebody once said that out of sight was out of mind.

They were right.

Connect with Hank on LinkedIn, Twitter, & Facebook: