The Anti-Networking Movement January 16, 2013My CareerOff

If it pains you to pick up another nametag or regurgitate your elevator pitch for umpteenth time, you may be part of this growing trend.

Yes – we know our network is our net-worth. Sure – it’s crucial to business advancement.

But let’s face it.

Sometimes it seems just too self serving, time consuming and frankly unenjoyable.

“I have found it difficult due to the demands of my business,” says Maxine Burton, who owns and operates the international gift wholesale company Burton and Burton.

Events based purely on business development amount to “short term thinking,” says Page Harty, SignatureFD partner. “Women are starved for time and have no interest in generic seminars or hidden sales pitches.”

So, after much client feedback, Harty who runs the company’s SignatureWomen’s initiative, replaced the stuffy, old-fashion meet and greet with workshops on everything from flower arranging to yoga, self defense and weightlifting – so attendees can meet like minded women, learn something, and have a blast.

“Our unique events involve everything from make-up and martinis to shooting a gun,” says Harty. “They’re much more popular.”

Burton, Harty and others who’ve had enough of old-school networking say it’s not just about closing a deal.

A more relaxed, informal setting for women who have similar interests is how real relationships are developed.

“It’s about relationship building – valued in and of itself,” says Burton. “Successful networking … in my experience truly enhances your life.”

Bonus PINK Link: Still want to network but anxious about it? Here’s help.

What alternatives to traditional networking do you like most?

By Carmen Harbour

“The superior [wo]man understands what is right; the inferior [wo]man understands what will sell.” Confucius

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