Another Lesson from Primerus - Networking with your spouse

Earlier this week, I wrote a bit about Primerus and the event I attended. I had an interesting conversation with one of the organizers about the spouses of both the Primerus lawyers and their clients attending the event. I was told that Primerus encourages its members and guests to bring spouses to their events - in part because sometimes the spouses are better at networking than the lawyers are. While the comment was a little tongue-in-cheek, it gave me pause. Once I started paying attention, I realized just how smart (and true) that was.

As a guest of one of the lawyers, I spent a fair amount of time with the spouses, guests and clients that attended the event and I saw some relationships - many of which could lead to potential business - being started by the spouses or guests, rather than being initiated by the lawyers themselves. This may have been because the spouses and guests were better networkers, but it was more likely a combination of factors: the event was well-run, the atmosphere was relaxed but professional, the quality of people at the event was unsurpassed, and there were many opportunities for real bonds to be formed. And finally, sometimes it's just easier to talk about someone else than it is to talk about yourself - which meant that the spouses and clients were great at promoting their spouses or lawyers and the lawyers were great at promoting their clients.

"Networking" has become a chore, an obligation, a 'buzzword.' But the truth is that, wherever you are, you're always networking. Networking really consists of creating, expanding and maintaining relationships. Sometimes those relationships are purely business, and other times they're purely social. Often, they are a combination of both. Why not bring your spouse or another guest to network with you? Let them promote you and vice versa.