June 2018

The majority of our members admit to regularly hearing the “I know everyone in this industry” excuse. Quite often it still results in a business deal and is used simply as a “status confirmation”, however, I find it’s those who keep their minds opens, listen curiously and respond humbly, who walk away with the most lucrative deals on a constant basis. These people are the wheels of their company’s business development.

At the Energy Council, we believe in the power of face-to-face and “conscious networking”. Not only it is more successful than an email but over and over again what I’ve observed is investors making decisions while watching unprepared panel interactions to figure out how genuine the CEOs are, their facial expressions, eye contact and non-verbal communication.

Another equally important aspect is the frequency of staying in touch: how constantly do you interact face-to-face with executives from local banks, international investment firms, technology companies, consultants, specialized lawyers, PV developers, turbine specialists, E&P companies, EPCs, government officials, innovators… all categories that together make the market move.

More importantly, as an executive, do you really feel that your company or department is driven by a B2B relationship plan? Is “conscious networking” part of it? Does networking appear in the schedule consistently throughout the year and does everyone buy into it? More often than not, I hear that resources, time and skepticism prevent our clients from getting all the benefits of networking, of which there are plenty. Here are some of the main benefits of networking:

What power points, emails, calls and reports can´t overpower

The human factor of business relationships are incredibly important: 93% of effective communication is non-verbal or not-written. When we meet our peers face-to-face we also retain information faster and can fully focus on the what and why of our peers’ projects.

The number of meetings needed to become partners

As excellent as a company´s service might be, building credibility over the phone takes around 18 calls, while only 1 or 2 conversations face to face are sufficient to go into the next stage of business talks.

The Energy Market is vibrantly dynamic

Transactions and agreements are being negotiated constantly, with a wider range of options and players. Positioning your company in this market requires first-hand information before ideas become projects. The only way of planning ahead is building frequent networks and relationships.

Meetings out of the office environment enhance creativity

Social networking decreases tension and conversational rigidness. It allows unconstrained discussions, long-term ideas and a mindset change above specific meeting topics that are urgent for us or for our clients.

One meeting = 34 emails

The most active players in any industry know that ongoing interactions are required to stay “In the loop”. The Energy Council manages relationships and meetings to increase networking effectiveness between those eager to keep growing. Also, the expectation created by a face to face meeting without a set agenda is much more attractive than email exchanges.  In 2017, Harvard Business Review published that the equivalent of arranging a meeting is 34 emails!

Taking all the above into account, here is why the Energy Council created a series of VIP Receptions across the Americas:

– Stimulating business conversations and unlocking opportunities before our annual Assemblies
– Motivating encounters with old and new players operating in the market – being out of the office without a set agenda
– Guaranteeing a premium space based on references, with a diversity of company types
– A year-round business platform that helps to develop your business from Canada down to Argentina
– Connecting both international corporations and local players under one roof

On a personal note, meeting face-to-face with the most active players in Latin America helps me to channel my efforts looking for partners and valuable content. In a world where information is excessive, nothing is more important than the human factor.