What I learnt about networking as the ex-executive director at MaGIC

Photo credit: Nicolai Berntsen

During my time at MaGIC, my team and I had the privilege of getting to know many people across startups, large tech companies, industry, government agencies, investors and ecosystem players. In a way, our roles as ecosystem players required us to constantly sell the vision of MaGIC and its initiatives, not just within Malaysia, but also beyond. Not just the breadth, but also the depth. Not just the big picture, but also the individuals driving things.

First building credibility

When we first started off, we had to build and stamp credibility on the ground along multiple channels. Every day would be filled with 3-4 external meetings, 1-2 candidate interviews, and 10-15 Facebook messages to build ‘richness’ and the contextual web needed to tighten up the ecosystem.

To fend off negative trolls, I also had to stand firm in public and private forums without ever yielding a single inch. In a way, defending against unjust aggression requires some naive fearlessness and the ability to clamp down trolls quickly, sharply and strongly.

There were also times when some ‘hard-selling’ was required to get a point across, with constant pushing of boundaries to expand the playing field.

These are some insights I’ve learnt and internalised along the way, some by my own deduction and others from mentors I look up to highly.

10 lessons learnt in effective networking

1. Stand tall and confident especially when it comes to selling an idea or a vision. Don’t yield an inch if you know you can win in a just debate or fight, especially against bullies.

2. Be sincere and genuine. Start your conversation with a smile and get to know each other socially as friends.

3. Be a straight shooter and don’t sugar-coat stuff (from Azran Osman-Rani, iFlix). Share your thoughts and insights generously, not with the intention of showing off, but with the intention to enrich, teach and challenge each other.

4. Be open to chance encounters and do nurture them. I simply cannot recount how many times people have come forward simply because they like to help the ‘nice guys’.

5. Remain “true north” with any advice given or action taken. Sometimes, you might have to make sacrifices for the short term, and sometimes, you might even have to be very blunt with some people you care deeply about for the greater good.

6. Connect and help others out unconditionally, and as a consequence, people will start connecting you automatically and helping you out in return.

7. Establish authority early on, and build on the momentum by being an opinion leader on social media (especially Facebook), so that your network can get to know you as a person with substance and personality.

8. Establish a common ‘us’ vs ‘them’ to build rapport. This brings across the message that “Hey, I’m not one of the usual guys, I’m on your side.” Having a common cause helps to steer focus — be it for a social, commercial or PR-related cause.