I have given network courses to several thousand people over the past 5 years and the fact of the matter is that Women are more natural networkers than men.

Have you noticed the obvious differences?
Us guys tend to go steaming in with a handshake followed by a sales pitch and then a card is thrust into your unsuspecting hand with the expectation of you *wanting to share your details and card with him.
I appreciate I generalise here and there are many “professional” male networkers who do know how to network well but the majority I meet don’t.

Women in my experience of networking might not be so assertive in their approach but never the less their gentler demeanour is far more disposed towards listening and forging the relationship first before looking for the transaction.

They more naturally appreciate the value in getting to know someone first before considering the referral or transaction. They also tend to look deeper into those they are conversing with rather than going for the superficial approach and going for volume collecting cards as if they were a life line.

Some women maybe less confident particularly in circumstances where there is a heavy predominance of men but that doesn’t make them any the poorer networker and they are far more receptive to ideas that will enhance their skills than men are generally.

So although I am very much in the minority here addressing a women’s audience, don’t you let anyone even suggest that you can’t network. Networking to you is actually a very natural action even though some of you may not recognise this. Just think when you need to call upon a friend or contact within say a social situation, how easy it is for you to make that connection for assistance or advice; the same applies to your business contacts.

It seems that headline of the (original) article has confused the issue from the offset.

Are we talking about the aggressive tactics of corporate ladder climbing or women’s inability to network? The headline suggests the latter however the content covers networking in the broader sense. In my humble opinion the article merges two very separate issues into one.

Sadly we can’t argue the stats that so few women reach the top of the world’s largest corporations, but that is a debate on the women and the glass ceiling and not on networking. I don’t profess to be an expert in this area, however as this comment thread highlights, it is a sensitive issue and there is still much work to be done in terms of finding the right balance.

My definition of networking however is creating connections with people to build long term relationships for mutual benefit and success. There is no argument whatsoever that woman are naturally excellent at this, in the social and business sense. Women that have never even heard of the term networking do it brilliantly without even realising it.

We may not (as a general rule) be as good at blowing our own trumpets as our male counterparts but we make up for it by being fantastic at raising each others profiles, providing support and inspiration (and being open to it) and collaborating. This is a clear example of how as women, we can be outstandingly successful by leveraging our strengths rather than trying to emulate the competitive techniques that work better for men.

I agree that some women are not comfortable in the testosterone driven male dominated networking world. That said, neither are some men. I don’t lack confidence but I do need to be in the right environment. There are a number of different networking platforms – informal, structured, social both online and offline. Everybody will have a different style of networking that suits their personality and regardless of your gender; one of the important factors for networking success is to attend the right networking events.

Ideally this should be with a group of likeminded people, where you feel comfortable and you can be yourself. When we are authentic it is easy and fun to build relationships that have integrity and therefore long term value. Make sure you have a well thought out strategy, follow through with disciplined execution and have a genuine desire to help others.

And yes networking can also be about asking for what you want from others, but first you have to earn the right to ask for it by proving your ability to deliver.

Most importantly – networking should be fun. If you aren’t enjoying your networking activities AND getting fantastic results then talk to me

Please click here for my full response and top 10 tips for networking success:
http://ow.ly/1iiJc

Happy networking! @gina_romero

Thanks for joining us in the debate… I’m glad we were able to give you a vehicle to set the record straight – It can be really shocking when your words are used out of context. The Times article has certainly caused a lot of debate, but my main issue with it is that the whole premise behind it is inaccurate

The journalist interviewed me for 45 minutes – for a completely different article – based on some research that “Proved” statistically that the women interviewed were less likely to use their social networks for business purposes than men were.

To some extent, in my experience, some women are more careful of protecting their private online networks (involving, as they do, photos of their children etc.) than men are. But this doesn’t excuse the misrepresentation of my opinion in this article.

For example the “under the radar” comment I made was in reference to the fact that officially only 6% of businesses in Leeds are owned by women, and I simply believe there are a lot more, that don’t qualify “officially” as businesses and so are “under the radar” – a comment taken completely out of context.

If you look at my testimonials on LinkedIN, or Google me, you will find a much truer representation of me and my work than is presented in this terribly researched, terribly titled, and ill-meaning article.

I’ll write all my own copy in future!

Does she (Antonia) know we vote now too? and drive cars? and have businesses as well as have our own money to buy newspapers? And to what purpose? to read ill informed rubbish like what she has written.

Of the women who are featured in the picture with me, we ALL exchanged cards, and I’ve connected with 1 on twitter and 2 on linked in, so that image is a great example of networking in action!

One thing from the Times article did strike me, and that was the point that women are less likely to exploit our connections for our own gain. However, I don’t think that makes someone a bad networker – on the contrary, I think it makes someone a GREAT networker.

True networking is not about what you can get out of another person, it’s about building genuine and long term relationships for mutual good.

I have been an active networker for 7 years, and am among many other women who really get the idea, that its not about selling or corporate climbing, but about making and deepening business and personal connections and generally making the world a nicer place to be at!

I am really amazed the Times posted that – the backlash will (hopefully) be felt for many blog articles and tweets to come! Antonia should read your article as you make great points on all counts. Thanks Julie for your amazing work with Women Unlimited.