REVEALED: The Truth About Networking

You’re repeatedly told that networking is the BEST method for getting clients as a HR consultant.

So you invest in some beautiful business cards, complete with QR code linked to your website ‘cos that’s what all the cool kids are doing.

And then you go and experience an awkward AF afternoon.

Small talk with strangers… everyone trying to sell their own stuff or get free advice… and then a few potential leads which turn into casual chats but nothing more.

You think this is the exception rather than the rule, so you keep trying more networking events.

And another… and another.

Same thing on repeat - few leads, few clients, few sales.

Mainly just an awkward waste of time though.

Sound familiar? 

If so, this is the podcast for you, my friend.

You’ll discover:

• Why networking might be the worst lead gen strategy for HR consultants.
• Which lead gen method is actually the best method for you.
• The many MANY downsides to networking that people don’t talk about which causes you to lose HOURS of your life and £1000s.
• How to get leads for your HR consultancy without even leaving your house.
• The Big Networking Lie: Why it keeps your HR consultancy stuck
• Everyone says “Just network more” – Here’s why that’s bad advice
• How to implement the RIGHT lead gen method for you.

And much much more. 

Timestamps:

00:01 – 00:12 | Why HR Consultants Struggle to Get Clients Through Networking
00:12 – 01:06 | The #1 Networking Myth Holding HR Consultants Back from Getting More Clients
01:06 – 01:34 | Why Networking Might Be the Worst Lead Gen Strategy for HR Consultants
01:34 – 02:29 | Why Networking Doesn't Deliver Business Growth
02:29 – 03:42 | The Illusion of Progress – Why Networking Feels Productive But Isn’t
03:42 – 05:05 | Networking vs. Content Marketing: Why One Scales and the Other Doesn’t
05:05 – 06:26 | The Real Cost of Networking: Time, Money, and Lost Opportunities
06:26 – 07:35 | Is Networking a Waste of Money?
07:35 – 09:13 | Why Networking Only Works for Extroverts (And What to Do Instead)
09:13 – 10:41 | The Unpredictability of Networking: Why It’s Like Gambling for Clients
10:41 – 12:11 | The Smarter Way to Get HR Clients Without Relying on Networking
12:11 – 13:26 | The Best Lead Gen Strategy for HR Consultants Who Love Writing
13:26 – 14:00 | Video Marketing for HR Consultants
14:00 – 14:36 | How to Get HR Clients with Cold Emails & LinkedIn
14:36 – 15:03 | The Power of Paid Ads: How to Automate Your Lead Generation
15:03 – 15:54 | The One Lead Gen Strategy That Works For HR Consultants
15:54 – 16:34 | How to Make Lead Generation Feel Easy
16:34 – 16:50 | The Proven 7-Step Process to Build a £70K HR Consultancy
16:50 – 16:57 | Next Steps: How to Get More Clients Without Networking

Want My Help to Build Your £70K+ HR Consultancy?

1️⃣ Grab a copy of my book – The Complete Guide to Building a £70K HR Consultancy – and discover how to get every lead and client you need.

2️⃣ Join The Fastlane Formula – and work with me 1-to-1 to fast-track your results and build your £70K+ business faster (and easier) than going it alone.

Transcript

00:01 today's episode we're going to talk about the harsh truth about networking for HR consultants. See, most HR consultants are told repeatedly that networking is the best way to get clients.
00:12 But what if that's actually what's holding you back? What if this often repeated phrase that networking is the be all and end all, what if that's actually hindering you and your progress?
00:24 Because here's the thing. Every single one of the hundreds of hundreds of clients that I've worked with over my time, Every single one has come from other means.
00:33 I've had two from networking, and that's not, that's not that I don't go networking. I signed up for something called 4N back in the day, like a BNI, but a little bit different.
00:44 I was going to that for every week for about eight, nine months. I didn't get a single client from it.
00:50 Then I can't tell you how many events I've gone to, you know, with, uhm, loads of business people in the room, shaking hands, building relationships, sharing free advice, and got nothing in return for this isn't to say that networking doesn't work, right?
01:06 I know that networking does work. People talk about it because they get clients from can work, especially because people buy from people, right?
01:15 But what if it's not the magic bullet that you've been led to believe? What if networking isn't the best method of lead gen possible?
01:24 What if it is actually the worst thing that you could do?
01:27 that's what we're going to discuss today. We're going to talk about the problems with networking. The things that people don't often talk about.
01:34 Now first up, the problems with networking. The first problem is that it's time consuming. And it's exhausting and it's unproductive.
01:42 Now, there are hours that you spend at events. I don't know, maybe two hours every, every event, right? And then there's the following up with everybody that you've met.
01:50 Chasing leads that go nowhere. It's like fishing with a dull hook. You cast your line, but there's no guarantee that you'll catch anything and you keep doing it over and over again, hoping for the best, investing more time, more effort without getting any return.
02:06 And I bet there are some HR consultants out there who spend more time networking than anyone actually delivering work, because networking is a time sap, throwing the fact that you have to drive to all these events as well.
02:19 Now, how many hours per week do you spend on networking? And how many clients has it actually brought in? is why networking often feels productive, but actually it isn't.
02:29 It feels like you're doing lead generation, it feels like you're making progress, because you're walking around the room, you're meeting lots of people, you're having productive conversations, you're exchanging business information, business cards and business cards, and yeah, we'll definitely get in
02:42 touch, but then you go back home and, well, you don't always get in touch, you don't always get the Quite often, you don't necessarily get the client, and you've invested a lot of time to get to that stage.
02:55 about feeling productive, interestingly enough, I spoke to someone earlier this week on LinkedIn. She'd recently announced that she'd gone self-employed.
03:03 She'd got all the likes on her status. the messages of people wishing her well. I don't know if that will sound familiar Here's what she shared with me.
03:12 She said she'd spend all morning, three hours, replying to all the messages, all the and she felt like exhausted by the end of it.
03:19 And I said, well, were any of these people leads? Was, was all that time that you invested worth it? She said to me, what's a lead?
03:25 Obviously she's new to this. So I said to her, well, it's people who are saying that they are potentially interested in working with And she replied back to me and she said, no, they're not leads.
03:34 And I felt bad for her. She's new to the game. She felt like she was being But ultimately, she's just wasted a hell of a lot of time.
03:42 Replying to people to get no return on her 
03:45 next downside to networking is the fact that it isn't scalable. You can only be in one place at a time.
03:54 So you're limited by time and physical presence. You cannot be at multiple events. You can't have multiple conversations. So in effect, you are limited to the fact that you are having a one-on-one That's a very limited way to grow a business, to get beyond six figures a month.
04:11 If all you're doing is making things very difficult for yourself. Equally important, every networking event that you attend is a single-use effort.
04:23 Once the event is over, your reach is gone with all of those people in the room. Now, compare this to content marketing or email marketing.
04:31 One LinkedIn post can be seen by thousands of people. When you send out an email to your list. Again, there's no limit on that, that's could be tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, depends how many is on your email But one networking event, what, you might reach 10 people.
04:47 a big gap there. One LinkedIn post, a thousand people, one networking event, 10 people. Big difference. We're still even. Even if you do build a relationship at a networking event, you have no control over when or how that will turn into a client or business.
05:05 You're at the mercy of that other person, the whims of their business, maybe even people that they have to answer to above them.
05:13 effect, the effort-to-reward ratio is terrible. You put in hours of work, but only get a handful of these conversations turning into leads, and fewer into actual sales.
05:26 of it being, what's more, instead of it being a repeatable system, networking forces you to start from scratch. Every single time.
05:34 With email marketing, for example, or content marketing, you're building up a reputation. You're building up a relationship with these people all the time.
05:42 Networking forces you to start from scratch every time. Unless you're at something like BNI. I understand comes with its own complications, though, so I'm not going to talk about that too much today.
05:53 I'm talking about general networking events. think one of the biggest downsides as well to networking, you have to keep showing up forever, or those leads dry up, those relationships that you've built, they just wither away.
06:06 It's like, you know, if you were a runner, for example, you keep running, you keep running. You stay fit as a fiddle, then all of a sudden you take a week off, two weeks off, three weeks off, before you know it, you're a couch potato.
06:18 You have to keep showing up to these networking events, otherwise the leads dry up, someone comes and takes your place.
06:26 downside to networking is the fact that it's expensive. Good events cost money. There's travel, there's membership fees, there's parking, there's money for drinks or food or whatever it is that you have there.
06:39 And all this these good networking events, all these costs, the memberships, the travel, etc., it can add up quickly. I know it's all tax deductible, but it is costing money.
06:49 You think about something like BNI, for example, some of these HR consulates consultants they spend in, what, £1,000 a year on networking memberships that bring in zero clients?
06:58 sure, BNI might bring in lots and lots of clients, but obviously that means that you have to build someone else's business for them as well.
07:04 You have to share those referrals. So So it's not as if, Joining BNI for £1,000 means you instantly get a business.
07:11 It doesn't work that way. Even if you don't join BNI, there's other types of networking memberships. They can cost £500, £1,000 a year.
07:20 And you could still bring, Again, zero clients. Even free networking events isn't free. There's still time involved, there's still energy.
07:28 There's still that opportunity to do something more effective with your time that you're not taking because you're at a free event.
07:35 many HR consultants justify this expense. They might say to themselves or to you or to everyone else, but I met someone who might need my help in the future.
07:45 Now, that's not a s strategy. That's wishful Overall, if you're spending money and time on something that isn't delivering an ROI, it's time to rethink the approach.
07:55 So let me ask you something. Would you rather spend a thousand pounds on a networking group that might bring you a client or two?
08:02 Or a thousand pounds on a proven lead gen system that brings leads and clients predictably?
08:09 downside to networking that people don't talk too much about is the fact that it is skill dependent. Now some people thrive in networking.
08:17 I'm absolutely fine walking into a room of strangers, making small talk, pottering up. And talking to anyone and everyone. But what if you're the opposite?
08:26 What if you, what if you hate small talk? What if you're not naturally charismatic and confident? What happens if it takes you a bit of time?
08:34 You have get out of your shell and you actually hate the idea of walking up to complete strangers and starting nonsense talk with them.
08:41 What if that's you? What if you hate the idea of networking? So if networking feels like a chore, maybe it's just not the r- h strategy for that same sense, if you're in, well, if you're introverted or you don't like the idea of talking to someone, then you wouldn't want to make cold calls either.
09:00 You can do it, but you're- it'll be miserable, it'll be If cold calling doesn't suit your skill set, then don't do it.
09:07 And equally the same with networking. If you are not a natural networker, then why would you- I keep doing it.
09:13 this myth out there that networking is a learnable skill for everyone. But here's the truth. Some people just will never enjoy it or be any good at it.
09:22 And if networking doesn't come naturally, if you're- fighting against your own strengths instead of using your strengths, then you're making life extremely difficult for So imagine if, instead of- forcing yourself to go to these networking events, you put that time into a lead gen strategy that you actually
09:40 enjoy. 
09:41 the last downside to networking that I want to talk about is the fact that it's unpredictable. There's no way to control when, or if, you actually generate leads, or if those leads turn into clients.
09:51 You can never guarantee that. You can when networking will turn into paying work. So, some people take months or years before they finally reach out to you.
10:00 They finally say, actually, do you know what? I need some HR if you go into a new event, maybe you won't be in the right place.
10:07 You right It's complete trial and error. You could be in the wrong room with the wrong people for weeks, maybe even months on end.
10:17 this to working with an expert copywriter, running ads, or doing some email marketing. With those things, you'll control the speed, you'll control the, well, you'll have a good expectation of the content.
10:28 Consistency of leads as There are industry averages when it comes to running ads or email if you work with an expert, you can have a good idea about how quickly you will get a return on your investment.
10:41 interesting to you, then feel free to DM me on LinkedIn, because I do run ads from time to time, and I repeatedly do email But circling back to networking, you are waiting for other people to decide when they're ready.
10:56 And that means you're not in control of your own pipeline of leads and the problem, most HR consultants do not have time to wait and sit around waiting for people to make a decision that they want to with them.
11:09 So let me ask you a quick question. If your income depended on networking, would you feel safe? Would you feel constantly anxious about when the next client will appear?
11:20 you're feeling anxious, that's when you realize that networking as a strategy isn't predictable, it's not a business, it's gambling.
11:28 if networking isn't the be-all and the end-all, what's the solution? Well, it's time to stop fighting your strengths. It's time to lean into what works for you.
11:37 Because if you're struggling to get clients, the problem might not be you. It might be the fact that you are using a method that doesn't work for your skill set.
11:45 Imagine a fish being told to climb a tree. It doesn't matter how great a fish it is. However hard it tries to climb that tree, it's gonna fail.
11:54 And this is exactly what happens when HR consults force themselves to network or to cold call or to write content when that's not their natural strength.
12:03 The best lead gen method for you is the one that fix you and your skill set. Not the one that someone else has told you to do.
12:11 Now when it comes to lead gen options, there is no one size fits all and there is no perfect lead gen method out there, but let's explore a few now.
12:21 First up, there is writing based lead gen. So email, LinkedIn content, et cetera, et cetera. This is best for consultants who can write clearly, explain concepts well, and enjoy sharing insights.
12:34 It's scalable. One LinkedIn poster email can reach hundreds or thousands of people, and it builds authority. This positions you as the go-to expert in your field.
12:45 On the downside though, it does take time, and it requires consistency before you'll probably see any results. Equally, this doesn't work if you hate writing.
12:54 Alternatively, you could go in for more video based legion, so that means webinars, YouTube, video posts, and this is best for consultants who are good on camera and can explain things naturally.
13:05 There's high engagement with this. Because people connect with faces and voices faster than text. Equally, it builds trust quickly. Seeing you on video makes potential clients feel like they know you.
13:18 That being said, it can feel intimidating if you're not confident on camera. Plus. Editing in production can be really time consuming.
13:26 To tools like Loom can make it easier, but it can be time consuming. Alternatively, you might want to. You to try a direct approach.
13:34 So cold calling, LinkedIn DMs, direct mail. And this is best for people who don't mind direct conversations and want fast results.
13:42 You get immediate feedback because you know right away if someone is interested or not. And there's no audience- the the the the required.
13:48 You don't need to follow in and you just reach But it can make you feel uncomfortable if you hate rejection and it requires persistence because most people won't buy immediately and a lot of people will ignore you.
14:00 Finally, you might want to consider paid lead generation. This is like ads or sponsored content or paid webinars. And this is best for consultants with a marketing budget who wants to scale quickly.
14:12 This gets you fast results. There's no need to build an audience first. And it works while you sleep. Ads can bring in leads automatically.
14:20 But, as you know, it requires investment. You need a budget to test and refine campaigns. Plus, you need a strategy.
14:28 If you do it wrong, it's just burned and wasted money. And you also need expertise. Again, if you do it wrong, it's just burned and wasted money.
14:36 on that.
14:38 you were to ask me about lead generation, my take would be that the key to success is to pick one method and master it.
14:46 Don't try a bit of everything without any kind of commitment. Instead, choose one method that aligns with your strengths and go all in.
14:54 Learn it, test it, become great at it, and once it's working, you can add more strategies over time. At the first step.
15:03 Choose one method that aligns with your strengths and go all in. As a final thought, business growth should feel easy.
15:11 It shouldn't feel hard. So if lead gen to you for feels like a battle, you're probably using the wrong approach.
15:17 So instead of forcing yourself to climb a tree, start swimming in the ocean where you belong. The lead gen mesh strategy isn't just effective.
15:25 It feels natural and let's bring all this together. Networking isn't necessarily the be-all and end-all of lead generation. In fact, depending on your skill set, it could be the worst way to get clients.
15:38 It's time to change consuming. It's unpredictable. It's not scalable. And for many HR consultants, it's a constant cycle of chasing leads instead of attracting them.
15:47 So if networking feels like you're climbing a tree when you were built to swim in the Atlantic, then stop forcing it.
15:53 There are better, smarter ways for you to bring in clients. Ones that align with what you're already great at. And if you're wondering, okay, so what do I do instead?
16:02 That's exactly why I wrote my book, The Complete Guide to Building a 70K HR Consultancy. Inside, you'll get a seven-step process for building your 70K HR Consultancy without relying on guesswork or hoping the right person remembers you from a networking event that you once went along to.
16:19 There's an entire chapter on lead generation where you'll discover every method, the advantages, the disadvantages, you'll even get templates and chat GPT prompts to see you can start implementing whatever lead gen method you come, you decide to work on immediately.
16:34 And no matter your skill set, there is a lead gen method that will work for you. And I'll show you and you'll discover exactly how to do it.
16:43 So if you're ready to ditch the uncertainty and build a business that brings clients to you, go and grab your copy now.
16:50 Lead gen couldn't be easier once you know what works for you and how to do it. In the meantime, as ever, get marketing.
16:57 Because without marketing, there's no sales. And without sales, there's no business. So get marketing.