I was asked for tips on finding lots of quality referrals; a BNI Blog search gave four pages with some fabulous networking tips but nothing that talked of “deep and wide”. You may well ask what are “deep and wide” referrals?
Deep and wide is the networking dichotomy, the two extremes or opposites of networking thinking. The trouble is most of us are stuck in one end, some brilliant networkers however have learned to use both ends with equal skill. They are those rare individuals who you could call “Ambi Networkers”.
Just as the ambidextrous person uses their right and left hands with equal skill the “Ambi networker” will fully utilise two mental approaches to give and receive oodles of quality referrals.
Wide networkers
These people work in a generalist way to achieve results through others, thinking who they could connect with who. They see the world as one big network and naturally ask “who do I know….” At functions they will meet as many people as they can, often leaving with purse or pocket laden with others business cards and all of theirs given away. It is wide thinking they use to be good networkers. They know lots of people but often little about each one, ask them who do they know in a specific industry or profession and they have many names.
Thinking global is the key skill of the wide networker, they do it naturally and when asked for a referral their minds quickly scans those they know. All you need to do to receive the referral from them is to be very specific in your request, when the referral request is too general it does not make the connection. They think beyond the 1st level of contact and can make the connection between the 1st, 2nd and even 3rd level of contact.
The wide networker sometimes can give a lot more referrals but not as many turn to business.
Deep Networkers
These people like to own the networking task and normally have a smaller but well defined network. They give more in depth information with their referrals, often qualifying a referral before passing it on.
It is more about quality than quantity for them, when they have learned how to network they commit to building their database with only quality contacts. As deep networkers think more about the details, they find it easier to give referrals when asked for the contact and others who may know the contact.
Deep networkers often give a lower number of referrals but of a higher quality.
After developing deep and wide networking skills we must remember the “Givers Gain” truth directly followed by the “Ask, Seek, Knock” truth, but that’s the subject of another blog.
