Networking 101:
Legal, Ethical, and Behavioral Considerations
In the previous installments of the “Networking 101” articles (found HERE and HERE), I have discussed the value of professional networking as well as some intelligent strategies for getting the most out of your networking efforts. But there is another critical element to networking professionally and effectively: adherence to legal and ethical standards. This article will examine how this aspect of networking affects your interactions with business contacts and prospective clients.
Following Your Industry’s Restrictions
Many professions and industries maintain their own detailed set of ethical codes. For an attorney, the state Bar of the particular state in which he or she practices imposes its individual Rules of Ethical Conduct, while the medical profession holds its professionals accountable to the information privacy standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Additionally, tax, accounting, financial, insurance, and engineering professionals must comply with their respective industries’ specific standards regarding networking, promotion, and advertising. Violation of such ethical standards may damage more than your reputation – it may also make you subject to additional professional penalties.
These rules and restrictions can have a significant impact on how you network. The rules of solicitation for lawyers are a good example. An individual seeking legal representation often must take the first step before communication with an attorney can occur. If you are a personal injury lawyer and a networking partner hands you the contact information of someone who needs representation, you can’t simply reach out that to person. You can, however, have your networking partner ask the person in need to directly contact your firm. This important distinction may also affect how you present yourself at networking events. Instead of directly soliciting for referrals, you can simply describe how you and your firm can represent businesses and individual people and to encourage your networking partners to make others aware of your services. Take care to examine your particular industry’s ethical rules and standards closely, tooling your networking approach around them as needed.
Following the Rules of the Group
In addition to whatever ethical standards your profession may impose, you must also understand and follow any rules of conduct set down by local networking groups. Formal organizations such as BNI (Business Networking International) and chambers of commerce lay out these rules and expectations in extensive written detail for members. More casual networking groups may simply post some general rules on a Web page or make a brief statement at the beginning of each meeting. If a networking event seems to have no specific rules or structure, focus on being a good citizen. Listen carefully and politely to others, and try to benefit your fellow networkers as best you can.
Playing Fair with Competing Networkers
Responsible networking goes beyond obeying the laws, rules, and ethics of your profession as well as those of your networking organization. Your own personal behavior can make an enormous difference in how highly you’re regarded and welcomed by your fellow networkers. Respecting your competitors at networking events is one such behavior, especially if you’re in an industry-exclusive group that only allows one member from each profession to ask for referrals. For instance, if you’re listed as the group’s sign maker but you also offer promotional products, don’t mention your promotional products when a fellow member already fulfills that function within the group. Instead, reach out to that fellow member, negotiate your respective spaces, and discuss mutual referral opportunities. You’re likely to find a partnership far more productive than a rivalry.
Casual networking groups usually impose no rules on restricting membership to one member per profession. In these situations, you may see a dozen other networkers who do exactly what you do. Bad-mouthing these competitors, or comparing your own business favorably over theirs, is usually considered bad form in the networking world. Stick to the positive aspects of your own (and others’) work. You may even find it valuable to make friends with these fellow professionals, especially if you offer certain services or products that they don’t and vice versa. – hopefully resulting in mutual profitable referral relationships.
Part one of this series on networking can be found HERE. Part two can be found HERE.
© 2018 Matthew W. Harrison and Harrison Law, PLLC All Rights Reserved
This website and article have been prepared by Harrison Law, PLLC for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.
