Gareth Evans

The key to networking is being present, bringing good energy and genuinely wanting to get to know people. Don’t go to an event or meeting with a desired outcome, such as needing to make a sale. Ask qs, listen, learn, have fun and you never know where a relationship can take you. The best opportunities and outcomes often come from the most random people and places, but only when they know, trust and like you. Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to drum up a conversation with anyone in the room (it feels awkward to most of us) and don’t be looking over their shoulder for someone “more important, more senior”…. Be all in on who you are chatting with in that moment.

My favorite analogy on this subject shared with me was - imagine yourself in a bar/club. Do you want to be the person in the corner watching and not engaging with anyone or do you want to be a part of it… talking, dancing, engaging and having fun. Many of us on social media are scrollers, we are in the corner watching but not engaging. If you are looking to network, build relationships, share knowledge and be a contributor to your community, you need to be involved. Post, follow, engage, comment and be an active and constructive member - do it with the right intentions and you will realize the value. (Today this platform is filled with AI messages and engagements with bad intentions, don’t be that person).

This is a very personal choice, how do you feel most comfortable sharing knowledge - video, written, audio…? Find what channel(s) work best for you and use to share your thoughts and expertise. Do this knowing that even if you get one person that gets value from your content it is a win, you cannot expect viral followings/posts overnight. Provide valuable insights, learnings, predictions and observations. Deliver the content in an engaging way that comes natural to you. Decide what it is you want to achieve with your content - personal branding, company branding, sales, a way for you to consolidate your thoughts, knowledge transfer… and produce content accordingly.

I am definitely a Gary Vee fan when it comes to this topic. Share your knowledge, expertise and value expecting nothing in return. Build trust, relationships and followings by being genuine and building collective knowledge. This should be done within your team, with your customers, with your community and with strangers through platforms like this. The dividends will come back to you in spades when you do it right and with the best intentions. This is particularly important as new people come into our industries, especially in a remote only setting. I many industries we are seeing skills / knowledge shortages. We need to contribute to helping to coach, transfer knowledge, mentor and set individuals and teams up for success.

As they say, your network is your net worth. Some have suggested being extremely strategic about networking, I think you need to find a balance. I am a firm believer in putting yourself out there, getting to know your community and networking (in person or virtually). The best connections can come from the most random interactions. Don’t over play or think it, get out there, be yourself, have fun, ask qs and listen - actually get to know people! In parallel have your industry specific events you want to be a part of to be visible, build credibility and contribute.

Where else can you reduce costs, increase operational resilience and reduce emissions - to win/retain more contracts and the best employees, attract quality capital and investors and hedge critical business risks. Those that proactively embrace and optimize their businesses will differentiate themselves. Energy makes up between 5-40% of operating costs today and without it your business grinds to a halt, meanwhile the supply chain, finance markets, employees and customers want sustainable products/services. Take the first step and progress with the no regret decisions and in parallel roadmap your portfolio-wide strategy to success. If you want to learn more, check out this podcast - https://veckta.com/renewable-rides-podcast/