Committing fully to any networking event takes time – booking, prep (you should be doing some of that!), travel, the event itself, return travel, LinkedIn connecting and follow-ups. So, done correctly, a two-hour networking event may actually take nearer to four hours. And if we view it like this then we can be much more realistic with our expectations of just how long effective networking takes.

So how can we find the ideal balance of finding the right amount of time without over or under-doing it?

Firstly, be honest about the time commitment in relation to your overall workload. Can you then confidently commit to an event a week? Or every fortnight? Or perhaps monthly? Will anything else have to be delegated or sacrificed if you want to attend your ideal number of events? Of course, it’s chicken-and-egg stuff – you have to attend (probably more than once) to see what’s going to work for you. And only then will you see how much time it takes.

Try different events/formats and monitor the potential, suitability and, in time, the results. But always be realistic about the time commitment. One 2-hour event = 4 hours minimum. And that’s before you add in any follow up meetings!