Best networking advice: the worst that can happen is a ‘no’ – Silvia Masioli
Silvia Masioli at MAD//Fest for the series "Best Networking Advice I Ever Got".
"The worst that can happen is a no."
So why is it all so hard?
You already know the worst case is a polite no. You know you should just send it, just say hello, just be brave. And you're still staring at the message, or hovering at the edge of the room, not doing it.
Sound familiar?
You're in the right place.
At MAD//Fest I asked Silvia Masioli – Senior Events Producer at Havas – for her best networking advice, and she gave me such generous tips. Advice that resonates with everything I’ve built into my networking training.
“Just be brave – because the worst thing that can happen is just a no, and that’s fine. At least you’ve tried.”
Silvia's advice is the right advice: do your homework so you've got something genuine to say (the “preparation” “P” that I teach in my workshops). Reach out to people you don't know and follow up if they don't reply.
I also loved hearing her talk about the value of your existing network. Because networking isn’t just about collecting new contacts. There’s so much value in reaching out to people you’ve lost touch with. In my experience they’ll be delighted to hear from you.
Now for the tough part.
All of the people who say "be brave" are the people who have already learned to get good at this stuff. They make it sound like it’s just a decision you make. If you're brilliant at your job and still can't buy a ticket, or you bolt for the door after the panel is finished then "just" is doing an enormous amount of heavy lifting.
Nobody freezes because they hadn't realised the worst case is a no. They freeze because knowing it and doing it anyway are two different skills – and the second one is trainable. You don't fix it with more encouragement. You fix it with reps, on purpose, somewhere built for it.
My workshops bridge the gap between advice and action.
Silvia Masioli is a highly skilled experiential, media and partnerships professional with over 15 years working in brand partnerships and experiential media roles.
Full transcript of Video 5 – Interview with Silvia Masioli · Senior Events Producer · Havas
Susi: What’s your name and what you do?
Silvia: My name is Silvia Masioli and I'm a senior events producer for Havas at MAD//Fest today.
Susi: What's the best networking advice you've ever received?
Silvia: I would say to be really brave. Don't be scared to reach out to people that you don't know. Research a little bit about who they are, what they do, and what they like, maybe on the usual network sites (obviously for business, LinkedIn, etc.), but also go on the companies' socials (Instagram, Pinterest, wherever they create content for their customers or their partners) and research about their latest products or campaigns or things they've liked. That way you have something to talk about when you approach them and it shows that you have a genuine interest in them and their company. It will give you an advantage because I think it always looks great when you can show that you've researched and you know what they are and also have a genuine reason to get in touch with them.
Obviously if we're talking in real-life networking, then it's a different thing again. Just research who's going to turn up at that event and approach them with something genuine, interesting, and personable. Just be brave because I always say the worst thing that can happen is just a no and that's fine, at least you've tried. I totally agree with that.
Susi: Final question from me: I run networking training. I think it's really important that people learn to get better at this. Why is networking important and why is it important to learn how to get good at it?
Silvia: I've just changed my career slightly. I pivoted into events and experiential. I've been in media and brand partnerships and I just had a passion for events and experiential and I decided to make the move. Genuinely the best thing that has happened to me in this pivoting of my career has been the people that I know. Just reaching out to people and saying, "Hey, I'm thinking of doing this. I think I could be amazing at this and this is why. Would you support me? Would you introduce me to people you know?" 99.9% of people have said, "Absolutely, no problem. He's a contact." Also follow up again if people don't get back to you the first time. Again be brave and reach out and say, "Hey, just following up on this. Would you mind?" I think people really love to be useful, to be positive, to help each other.
When you're a woman it's really really important to show bravery, courage, and just confidence in your own ability and potential.