Today, host Lindsay Young, a strategic marketing consultant at Nu Marketing, and Tim Pile, the Western Regional Sales Manager at Metal Fab Inc., discuss the essentials of effective networking. They offer practical tips for both extroverts and introverts. Stressing the importance of intentional planning, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, and maintaining professional etiquette. The conversation includes real world examples and strategies for facility managers to build a robust network of reliable connections.
Today, host Lindsay Young, a strategic marketing consultant at Nu Marketing, and Tim Pile, the Western Regional Sales Manager at Metal Fab Inc., discuss the essentials of effective networking. They offer practical tips for both extroverts and introverts. Stressing the importance of intentional planning, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, and maintaining professional etiquette. The conversation includes real world examples and strategies for facility managers to build a robust network of reliable connections.
Resources Mentioned:
Lindsay Young: [00:00:00] you need to continue to build relationships because of what you do, you work with so many different types of people, suppliers, subcontractors that are helping you manage facilities because you can't do it all yourself.
And so by making those connections and building those relationships, you've got a plethora of resources or connections. That are going to help you.
Host: Welcome to ConnectedFM, a podcast connecting you to the latest insights, tools, and resources to help you succeed in facility management. This podcast is brought to you by IFMA, the leading professional association for facility managers. If you are ready to grow your network and advance in your career, go to ifma.
org to get started. Today, host Lindsay Young, a strategic marketing consultant at Nu Marketing, and Tim Pile, the Western Regional Sales Manager at Metal Fab Inc., discuss the essentials of effective networking. They offer practical tips for both extroverts and introverts. Stressing the importance of [00:01:00] intentional planning, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, and maintaining professional etiquette.
The conversation includes real world examples and strategies for facility managers to build a robust network of reliable connections. Now let's get into it.
Lindsay Young: Hello, this is Lindsay Young with Nu marketing. I am a AEC architecture, engineering, construction, marketing consultant in the Midwest, and I am involved in the IFMA chapter in Wichita and have helped them for about 10 years with their marketing and business development specifically events and social media.
Tim Pile: Tim Pile with MetalFab, I'm a Western regional sales manager, but prior to that, I've been in several different business development roles, marketing roles client relations roles in the AEC industry for the last seven or eight years, and so, a little bit of experience of networking and got to hang out with Lindsay networking, meeting at [00:02:00] networking events.
And so it really just is a kind of a natural conversation for both of us. Cause it's something we both really enjoy doing, but also Understand it's something we have to be very intentional at. Even if it's something that comes natural to us, you've got to be planning ahead and thinking about it.
So I'm looking forward to the conversation.
Lindsay Young: Well, thanks Tim. Networking is typically a naughty word or people kind of get scared about it. So Tim, let's kind of talk about what networking really is or what we think networking is or what it can be.
Tim Pile: Yeah. So for me, networking really boils down to relationships.
It's a hundred percent. The purpose of it is to build relationships with those in your industry. Those that are potential connections or existing connections, a place to be able to just have another touch point with them, but it really comes down to relationships. That's the goal of any networking event that I ever go to is just to build relationships, not to Sell, not to land that deal, not to even necessarily talk too much about [00:03:00] Projects, like actual projects at the time, but really just to build relationships with people.
Lindsay Young: Well, and I think networking, I'm going to kind of expand on what you said is networking is not about selling. It's building that trust and building those relationships. And I think as facility managers, you're building relationships. Every single day, and you need to continue to build relationships because of what you do, you work with so many different types of people, suppliers, subcontractors that are helping you manage facilities because you can't do it all yourself.
And so by making those connections and building those relationships, you've got a plethora of resources or connections. That are going to help you. So, you know, the traditional networking is okay. I'm going to an event and, you know, networking and meeting people. And yes, that's a component of it, but it's also, okay, who do I know that knows somebody that I need to know?
And putting those referral partners or and referral connections together as well. So I think we'd need to think of it from that perspective as well. And IFMA is a [00:04:00] great place for that. For you to do that to meet those people as a facility manager and making those connections of those resources or those people that are going to help you in, in, in your position and help you with your facility.
Tim Pile: Yeah. I know previously in another role, I did work for like a building controls contractor, and so part of that was I wanted to build relationships with the facilities managers, not for a sell point, but to just have that relationship with them that they knew that they could call us. When stuff hit the fan, and they were in an emergency, dire situation, they knew who had their back, and so I wanted to build that relationship with them, and so I think about facility managers, and like we said, it's not this necessarily just sales thing, as much as it is, they just want to build relationships with the HVAC guy, with the electrical guy, with the plumbing guy, because When you need a plumber, you need a plumber fast but anytime that you need a problem, you need them fast and you want to know who you can call and who you can count on.
And so, I think that's where the importance of networking is going to come in for facilities managers, just knowing who has [00:05:00] their back when it's time for them to make that call.
Lindsay Young: Well, and one component, I think, to networking that I think businesses or business people in general, maybe miss the boat a little bit is LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a platform. I know Tim, you and I both use pretty heavily. And that's a great place to not only connect, but learn about our industry. I mean, IFMA is very active and so is IFMA Wichita on the social media platforms, but sharing those resources. And so again, that's another. Components in networking is, okay, how can this information help my network?
And sharing that those articles or the different things on LinkedIn and connecting again with those, you know, suppliers or other facility managers around the country and even around the world that maybe they're encountering a problem that you're encountering. And now you're connected with them.
You can call or reach out to them and say, Hey, I'm having this issue. Can you help me out? I know you've dealt with the same thing. So again you're building that [00:06:00] network to to help you in your position and your, and in your career.
Tim Pile: Yeah. Cause it's not necessarily like, I think a strong part of it is going to be the subcontractors or the people that they're gonna be working with, but a huge part of it is other facility managers.
I'm actually the president of a major way right now, and we're fighting algae in the water and I'm like, I just wish I had another HOA that I could call that's been around longer to say, what did you guys do to deal with this? And that's just a correlation of just another example of like an area where having peers that have gone through what you're going through.
It's going to be huge because everybody, every facility's managers, their whiteboard, their issues their concerns are all the same. Same. It's just going to be on different levels and scales. And so to have somebody who has been through that, so they can support you. And then also you back to them if you've gone through something that you see them going through, and maybe it is something that we're able to connect on LinkedIn and it's, it is articles.
It is things that can be shared back and forth. But I think that peer to peer relationships [00:07:00] just as important as it is going to be with the people that's working for you.
Lindsay Young: Well, and one of the things I know Tim and I talk a lot about too is introverts and extroverts and both Tim and I are extroverts.
He's probably more extroverted than I am, but we are both extroverts by nature. And so I want to talk about that because most people are actually introverted versus extroverted. And so from a networking perspective, it is a little bit easier for extroverts to network. I'm going to actually talk about introverts to let Tim talk a little bit about extroverts.
So as an introvert you're a better listener than us extroverts. So you ask better questions and you remember more things. You build deeper connections with, you know, with people versus Tim and I want to be friends with everybody. So take advantage of being an introvert. And so when maybe you go to these events, work at the registration table, that's an easy way to meet a lot of people and get to know a lot of people because they're coming to you, they're checking in, you're You can, you know, call them by name.
You can put a [00:08:00] face with the name. So think of different ways. That's one way as a, as an introvert that you can network and meet a lot of people is working that registration table and specifically at an event. So, you know, from the extrovert standpoint, Tim, why don't you give us some examples on that?
Tim Pile: The biggest thing with being an extrovert it's setting realistic expectations.
You're not going to go to an event with a hundred people and walk away knowing a hundred people. It has to be realistic that I'm going to meet seven to eight people. But not only instead of having a realistic expectation of going in of what you're actually going to accomplish, but it's also going in knowing that of those a hundred people, like you said, majority might be introverts, so let's not, you know, Dominate the conversation.
Let's not control the room. Let's allow and give a space for introverts to be in the room for them to be a part of the conversation. And so I know for me, I have to be very intentional as an extrovert in a networking situation where there is just there's a lot of people. I'm looking for opportunities to bring an introvert that maybe I know into the [00:09:00] circle and introduce them and make that introduction for them, making sure that I'm asking them specific questions to get them involved in the conversation.
But again, it's also me not oversharing or trying to one up anybody, but to just add to the conversation, but really trying to bring in introverts. And so. I think, same thing for introverts, they're gonna, they're gonna, and you can speak to this too, but like, they've got to be intentional. They've got to have realistic expectations.
And then they have to be intentional on, I'm going to put myself out there, I'm going to have these conversations.
Lindsay Young: Well, and I think from an introvert, that's, it's an easy follow up when you're an introvert after you've went to an event to connect with that person then on, on LinkedIn, because it's a natural, hey, we've met, this is where, you know, where we met or how we met or the conversation we have.
And then you're going to see each other posting different things and you can start to build that relationship online.
From the standpoint of LinkedIn, that's a component to networking that does not replace networking [00:10:00] and building relationships.
So that's another tool in your toolbox. But from an introvert standpoint, that is definitely a great place to help you be more comfortable and practice that networking for that building relationship with those people.
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Tim Pile: Absolutely. Yeah, I think one of the other things that whenever you're looking at an event it's just a lot of it's planning.
It's not just [00:11:00] showing up and winging it. This is for introverts and extroverts. You don't want to just show up to something and just wing it. When they specifically like if you're going to an IFMA event a lot of times you can find out ahead of time who registered for that. You're going to know maybe what contractors are going to be there, what other facility managers are going to be there.
And so you can kind of game plan. It's okay. These are some of the people I may want to connect with or I work for this hotel chain or this restaurant or this hospital, well, I know that this other hospital, this other same trade facility manager is going to be there. I want to connect with them because I heard that they had these issues at their facility and I want to know how they dealt with them because at some point I'm probably going to deal with that.
And so a lot of it's just game planning ahead of time and not just showing up and trying to wing it.
Lindsay Young: Well, and also one of, one of my, I'm going to say early career lesson lessons learned, and I didn't really know what it was or what networking was, even though I've done it for 20 years in 2010, if you were in the industry, that was the big, you know, the first recession [00:12:00] that we had and unfortunately, I was laid off from my job.
Well. The previous four years, I had a position that I was networking and building relationships and making those connections that when I got laid off, I had a whole host of people that I could tap into and say, Hey, I'm looking for a job and this is what I'm looking for. And I was fortunate enough that I got several different offers and had several conversations with those employers.
So not only from a business, but that's kind of a more personal story that. My network has helped me get my jobs. And then obviously now being a business owner, my network has also helped me. But I think you've got to think of that. Those types of things too, is that it's not just work related. It could also help you in a personal situation like this, which obviously is career related, but having those connections and cause 75 percent of the jobs are not posted on LinkedIn or career builder or even somebody's website.
So. Having that network helps you get, maybe get, [00:13:00] lands you your next job or your promotion too.
Tim Pile: Yeah, no, for sure. I mean, that's the thing is, and all that comes from relationships, because of whatever your reputation was in that space, and then also just the rep, the reputation, and then also the relationship that those people had with you, that they would go to bat for you.
So no, that, that's a good, that's a good talking point, where it is personal, but it's also going to be professional. It's going to be across the board.
Lindsay Young: Well, and it's kind of what you were talking about earlier, Tim, about, you know, HOA, that's not really business related, but I'm sure you're using your network to, to reach out to like, Hey, somebody else has got to have the same problem that you're connected with and you'll figure it out.
Cause you have enough connections that somebody will, you may not know them directly, but it might be a connection that you have. And I actually, I was thinking I'm going to, we're going to do a real world example here, Tim. So I have a client that does mostly work in HOAs. And so I'm thinking to myself, when you said that, I can hook up Tim with some people to help him with his algae problem.
Tim Pile: Yeah. [00:14:00] It's funny. Yeah, no, but you do, you use that network and you, and it's, the thing is trying to keep those relationships active too, because a lot of times when I'm going to a networking event, it may be, for me, when I was in a sales role, it's like, well, I need to find, I want to find two to three people that have potential future work.
And I'm not going to talk to them about the future work at that networking event, but I want to. Know that they have it and then set up a follow up meeting. But I also know there's going to be five to ten people that I see at these networking events on a regular basis that I just want to keep that existing relationship until some of the conversations are to keep and manage the existing relationships and some of it's going to be to build new.
Because you need or you want the full gamut of both sides of it.
Lindsay Young: Well, and I think that's another thing and it's you and I know struggle with this or challenge with this is, I think they say it's like a hundred people that you can really like have a consistent, you know, touch base. I know you and I probably have 2000 contacts or connections on LinkedIn
, but it's also kind of [00:15:00] what you're saying at those physical events, trying to connect with new people, but maintaining those existing relationships. So it's hard because. Especially when you are in a market that you're well known or have a great network, it's hard to sometimes pull yourself away from those new people.
Or I mean, from the existing connections to meet those new people.
Tim Pile: Yeah. Yeah.
Lindsay Young: Cause I know I struggle with that sometimes too.
Tim Pile: Yeah, for sure. I think a shift of conversation. I would love to hear some of your insight on kind of like when you're at a networking event. What's some of the etiquette and some of the things that we want to keep in mind because I think sometimes we take it for granted.
I'm going to a networking event. I'm gonna hang out with people, but there's etiquette and there's things that there's rules that people break that you and I break if we're not thinking about it. And then there's and then there's just Yeah, what's some things that come to mind when I say that?
Lindsay Young: Yeah, well, I think the 1st thing is if you know, if you're an introvert and you're going into the room there, and if there's somebody, or even if you're an extrovert, somebody standing by yourself by themselves. And I think [00:16:00] maybe you mentioned this earlier going up and talking to them. Another thing is not interrupting, which again I'm working on this.
I'm guilty of interrupting people and not listening. And that kind of goes hand in hand is. Ask a question and really listen with the intent not to respond, but to really listen to them. So I think those are a few things I think that regardless of what your introvert extrovert is, that kind of the best practices to networking.
I think another thing also is be aware of how much you drink. I know that's, you know, a lot of the times these are happy hours and, or if you're at a golf tournament, you're, you know, drinking all day. But you know, unfortunately I have been at several events where there's, you know, there's heavy drinking and you need to be aware of that.
That's, that to me seems obvious, but it's unfortunately not either. So just be aware of that in terms of, you know, your alcohol intake.
Tim Pile: Yeah.
Lindsay Young: What are some things that you've [00:17:00] seen are good or bad?
Tim Pile: I like the alcohol one because I can specifically remember times where there was somebody who drank too much.
And the thing is, I'll always remember that. And so it's like, for them, it's like, I wish you hadn't done that. One of them for me is it's interesting to me is to do a little bit of people watching, but it's when I'm walking this, walking the space or walk in the room where there's that. I just want to be always looking around and checking to see, okay, who's all here and what circles are there.
But with the circles, what's always interesting to me is I think people are always. nervous to try to enter a circle and they go, how do I get into a circle? And I think there shouldn't be an issue at a networking event. Everybody is there to meet people. So anybody inside of a circle, if anybody is even hovering around your circle, you should immediately be opening it up and inviting them into the circle.
And so that's one of the things where I'm trying to be intentional that if I'm trying to get into a circle that, that is a. Allow me in and that they open it up or from inside of a circle. One of the etiquette things I would say is if I'm in a circle and I can tell someone's wanting in because sometimes an introvert is going to [00:18:00] just stand on the outside and not ever push themselves into a conversation.
I love to, hey guys, let's make room for this person to be able to come join our conversation. And so it's just part of the etiquette is just keeping that flow of people coming in and out. And some of it's also going to be when to leave a conversation. One of the things I used to be really guilty at is I would find one or two people that I knew at that event, and I'd spend the entire 45 minutes or hour with them.
And it's like it didn't do me any good to spend that entire time with them, whereas it would have been better for me to either introduce them to people or have them do the same for me. You're going to see this, I don't know if it's an event, you're going to see a lot of the same people that you're going to spend time with on a regular basis at the events.
But at the same time, if you're with those same people, and you see somebody new, ask them if they know them. And if they do, have them introduce you. If you know them, but you don't think they do, introduce them. But it's trying not to just spend all of your time with one individual or two individuals. And that's something I have to be intentional at, because it's really [00:19:00] easy to go to an event you, we used to be a part of SMP, or SMPS is an organization that we're a part of, that you see a lot of the same people, so it's real easy for that event to hang out with that one person, and if you're not intentional, you're going to accidentally spend the entire time with them, because that may be the only time you do see them but it's just being more intentional about that.
Lindsay Young: Well, and you kind of touched a little bit on this and I want to give an example. I call it kind of the buddy system. So, you know, I moved to Northwest Arkansas about 8 years ago. So I had to kind of start over in terms of building my network when I moved from Wichita, Kansas. So I had to. Meet everybody.
Cause I knew like five people when I moved to Northwest Arkansas. And so one of the things that I did was I immediately figured out who was well connected in kind of my circle. And her name's Kelly. And I figured out she knew a lot of people in the industry and a lot of people in, in, in the market.
And so I would, you know, not every event, but I would be strategic in which events that I knew her and I were going at. going to together and I would say, Hey, will you [00:20:00] take me around and introduce me to some people that I need to know in our market and in our network? And she's like, yeah, sure. That's so that, you know, that was hard for, I shouldn't say hard, but you know, I would walk into a room and not know anybody well.
Having a buddy system, whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, that, that buddy system helps you because it's like, okay, this person has a well, well established network. They can introduce me to people that I need to be introduced to and you can be strategic about who you ask to do that with. And so I've met a lot of people through Kelly because I know, you know, and I'll call her or text her.
I'm like, Hey, do you know such and such? Yeah. Okay. Can you introduce me? And so. You know, finding those people in your markets. And Tim, I feel like you're one of those people too, because you're usually at the top of my list of like, okay, I got to reach out to Tim because he might know this person.
And so you kind of have those also those top of mind people that are connected. So find those people in your market or in your industry and. Ask them, Hey, will you be my buddy at some of [00:21:00] these events that you're going to and introduce me to some of these people? Yeah. Yeah. I think a really good thing to talk about too, is the questions.
Tim Pile: Like it's really good to have a have your ammunition of what questions you want to ask whenever you're going to something I was at a networking event this last weekend. And I, the guy walked over to me and he goes, weather, right? And it was just, made me laugh because he was just like, weather.
And it's like, he didn't know what to talk about. And so he's just like, Weather, it's crazy. And it's like, it was just, it was, he was almost making fun of the fact that so often we will go to weather, but it's like just having questions about what do they do? What's their role with their company? What are some of the struggles that they have with their, not with the company, but with the role?
And then just getting to know that about their families, getting to know about their hobbies, because everybody likes talking about themselves. Everybody has a hobby that they love talking about, whether it's concerts or it's sports or golf or bourbon is a big one for me that I just, you enjoy talking about it.
And so I think it's really important to. Have those list of questions in your head before so you can be [00:22:00] intentional. Part of that's just, I think that's kind of the summary of this is be intentional with your time that you have for networking. What are your goals that you're setting for it? How many people are you hoping to maybe meet?
Or look ahead of the time of who might be there that you can say, Okay, this is who I want to maybe spend a little bit of time with. Being intentional as an introvert that you're going to put yourself out there and that you're going to force yourself to join the conversation. Being intentional that as an extrovert, you're going to allow the introvert to have the space as well, not dominate the questions, not one up.
That's a big one. Do not be a one upper and then just being intentional about your time there and just that you're doing the right thing by your company being there because a lot of times you're taking time from work to be there. So it's gonna be making sure that it's, Worth your company's time that you are there as well.
Do you have any other kind of closing thoughts like that as summary?
Lindsay Young: Yeah. I mean, networking has been a big component to the success of my career and I can't speak enough about it. But again, it's really about building relationships.
I always say it's [00:23:00] helping, sharing, giving. That's really what networking is about. And so there's, I kind of want to, in closing, there's a resource and I know it'll be in the show notes as well. It's called the GoGiver and it talks about networking and what that looks like. And it's, has nothing to do with selling.
It's about helping, sharing, giving. Building relationships, building trust. And so, you know, if we want you to walk away and know whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, if that's, if networking is part of your job or not part of your job, you need to be doing it regardless. Like, it's an important component to your personal and professional life and career path.
Tim Pile: Awesome. It was awesome talking networking with you. I appreciate it.
Lindsay Young: This has been great, Tim.
Tim Pile: Yeah, it was a good time.
Host: Thank you so much for listening. I hope you really enjoyed this episode. And as always, please don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast for more incredible [00:24:00] content.