Confessions of a Serial Networker

Hi, my name is Richie Smith and I'm a serial networker.

It all started many years ago when I discovered I quite liked talking to people. In my last job I had a requirement to meet people and develop new business leads but it was in a fairly small pool of target clients. Since joining Hays I have discovered, to use a famous one-liner “The world is my lobster”.

And this suits me just fine.I attend many events, held by many organisations, trade groups, chambers of commerce and other umbrella groups. Some and are targeted at senior people in certain industry sectors; others are aimed at SMEs and ‘one man bands’. I don’t differentiate in terms of my aims at the event; to meet new people and make connections.

However, although I am a serial networker it doesn’t get any less daunting. Walking into a room full of strangers is scary and those minutes between arriving and actually being in conversation are nerve-wracking.And you don’t have to be a salesperson to be a networker. It helps with all forms of business.

In fact it even helps with searching for a job. Why do you think Linkedin is one the biggest social networks in the world?While Linkedin is a fantastic tool nothing beats face-to face interaction. So let me give you a few tips on how to succeed in person-to person networking. 


-Be consistent – attend lots of events
-Be interested in people – listen to their stories, learn about them 
-Learn their names – you’d be surprised how many times you’ll bump into that person again 
-Be genuine – people can spot fakes a mile away 
-Don’t try and sell to anyone – make a connection, not a sale 
-Bring something to the party – be prepared to share information and make introductions 
-Help the lost souls – look out for the person in the room with nobody to talk to 
-Pay it forward – people help you, you help others 


There is no substitute to knowing people. Establishing a wide network gives you great access to leads, tips and information which could lead to new business or a new job. And sometimes you even make friends.If you do connect with someone whether in person or online, establish a connection, stay in touch. Drop an odd line or make a quick call to see how they are, no agenda. 

You’ll be amazed how quickly your phone and inbox can come alive with enquiries and pieces of news and information that can prove invaluable.Hays has just hosted a business dinner which was attended by a British cabinet minister, senior politicians and over a dozen CEO and C-Suite execs from some of Ireland’s biggest employers and well known brands. We met some wonderful people who may or may not generate business for Hays in the future but hopefully we will be useful for each other when our paths cross again.

Like I say, I like to meet new people and make connections.You can do it too. Get out there. Find an event that interests you and go along. And when you walk into that event, take a deep breath and say ‘the world is my lobster!’

Richie Smith
Business Director
Hays Recruiting experts worldwide
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