Network Relationship Management Infographic

Margot Putnam Delaney — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 21:29:38 GMT

Network Relationship Management (NRM) is a critical part of growth strategy for startups and entrepreneurs. A properly managed network is part of resource management and brand control. NRM is often overlooked, yet is more critical than CRM because of the effect that it can have across the entrepreneurial lifecycle. This infographic illustrates how you can manage your network to execute against individual and company goals.

A proper NRM strategy will accomodate the professional and personal objectives of each member of the team. The strategy flow chart outlined here is iterative and customizable to each individual, like the three below:

Let’s call them Pierre, Bassem, and Justin. Together they run a media company and are building a new media platform.

This means their responibilities are threefold: 1) They need to develop clients and source experts for their current programming; 2) They need to find investors and technologists to build their new platform; and 3) They need to cultivate and maintain relationships to feed both sides of the business.

So how do they organize their rolodex and prioritize contacts in a systematic way? First, they have to define their Strategic Purposes, this is the 30,000 ft view. Second, they create a comprehensive list of priorities, balancing time and resources against the most pressing strategic needs.

It is important to establish this 30,000 ft view of Purpose and Priorities, because NRM is a constant process of engagement. Without a strategic level view of your needs it is easy to get lost in the noise of networking.

To put this in startup terms, NRM is a Lean development cycle:

The most critical thing to well-executed NRM is considering the needs/wants of recipients. The more you can help and engage with your network meaningfully, the more they will do for you.

Stories by Margot Putnam Delaney on Medium

Network Relationship Management Infographic