Should You Have A Wide And Diverse Network?

CREATED BY JACKY SHERMAN Published: 09/07/2025 @ 09:01AM #NetworkingInNorthampton #MiltonKeynesConnections #BusinessNetworkingPro #LocalNetworker #NetworkingExpert

People who meet me in Northampton and Milton Keynes often say that I seem to know everyone who goes out networking for their business. It's not true, of course ...

Wide and diverse network, Connections reach far and wide, Strength in diversity

There are over 65 million people in the UK, and according to the Federation of Small Businesses, 5.5 million of those are running businesses. Even if you narrow that down to just Northampton and Milton Keynes, my business area, that's over 370,000 businesses, and I certainly don't know them all.

So why do people have that impression?

Well, whoever they want to meet, I probably know someone who knows that person. Or failing that, I know someone who knows someone who knows someone, who knows that person. After all, that's how a network works, right? Research indicates that humans are psychologically capable of maintaining approximately 150 relationships. This is known as Dunbar's number, and I've posted about this before.

Well, imagine that I have 150 business relationships, and those people also know 150 other people ... that's 22,500. Now, if each of those 22,500 people knows 150 different people, that's a total network of 3,375,000 people. In reality, some of those people will overlap and some will not be in business, but even if you half that to 75 people, that's still over 400,000 individuals who you have access to.

Everyone who is in business will quite quickly acquire
more than 75 people in their database!

Customers, clients, colleagues, suppliers, event attendees, social media connections, others they do business with personally, friends and relations; the list goes on. So they know just as many people in business as I do. Oh dear, I'm not extraordinary at all; everyone else in business, whether they're using it effectively or not, has a broad and diverse network.

What is different for those of us who have a reputation for knowing everyone is our willingness to share those contacts. We're givers by nature and incorporate giving as part of our business strategy. We believe that we will be more successful if we're generous and share our network with others.

The marvellous thing about that is that it appears that we are right. Adam Grant's research detailed in his book 'Give and Take' demonstrates that the most successful people in business are high givers.

However, there is a fine line between being generous
and being used by others!

Yes, in a world of givers, there are also takers who take advantage. Therefore, successful people have a strategy in place for the individuals they include in their close business network. They ensure that the 150 people on whom they focus their time and effort are also high givers.

The answer to my question is that you already have a broad and diverse network; now add some giving tactics around how you use it. Give because you can. Take an interest in the people you know, find out what their dreams, plans, interests, concerns and challenges are. Seek out ways you can help that person, and if you can't help directly, put them in touch with others who can.

Surround yourself with other high givers. They might not be able to give to you, but if your network is comprised of givers who also give to other givers, then you can actually tap into the pool of over 400,000 people you collectively know.

How will you recognise a high giver when you meet
them? Look for giving behaviours!

Do they give you time to talk and keep their attention on you? Are they interested in what you have to say? Do they ask questions to deepen their own understanding? Do they offer help almost immediately? Most likely something small.

For example, providing relevant information that points you in the right direction, inviting you to something (without selling to you), or introducing you to someone who can help. Have they helped others you know? Are they known as someone who knows everyone? Equally, do they give you the opportunity to give back? Do they share their need for help, too?

It's a great compliment to be asked for advice or help. Build your wide and diverse network full of people like this, and soon you'll have a reputation as someone who knows everyone, is helpful and generous and worth helping in return. What a fantastic way to build your business.

Until next time ...

JACKY SHERMAN
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