What is networking and why do people do it?
Networking is how you build and maintain relationships with people that help you reach your business goals. You have to interact with other people in the industry, attend events, and use online platforms to connect with people that are interested or aligned. What you’re really trying to do is create opportunities for collaboration, referrals, and business growth. You can establish meaningful relationships, gain access to valuable resources and information. It’s going to require strong communication skills, a willingness to listen and learn, and a commitment to building mutually beneficial relationships.
Why is networking important?
Networking is important for a number of reasons. You’re going to want to achieve your business goals, but you’ll need to connect with the right customers or partners to be able to do that. Getting referrals to these customers helps with expediting the process. Networking gives you access that you wouldn’t have otherwise. This could be access to information, industry trends, best practices, and more. Also, networking can open up opportunities that you didn’t originally consider. It can help you see things from a different perspective. And once you start to network more it’ll help build your personal brand, increase your visibility, and establish yourself as a thought leader. Personally, the idea of “thought leader” seems a bit presumptuous. But, you get the point, you understand what it means.
What makes networking tough for some people?
Networking is tough fro some people for many reasons. Some people are naturally more introverted or shy, which makes it difficult to approach others and start a conversation. Do you experience that? Some people don’t interact with people often so they don’t know how to lack confidence in their networking abilities? It does take a certain level of social skills, but you have to practice it to get better at it. Are you able to see social cues, have empathy, listen actively, and read body language? If you can’t yet, that’s something to start working on. It can be time-consuming and require a significant investment, which can be difficult if your schedule seems filled up.
How can you make networking easier?
If you want to make it easier set specific goals on what you want to be able to achieve. Next, you need to look up different groups and events you want to network with. Prepare some talking points and conversations that will make you feel more ready for the interactions. Try to find a common ground when you meet new people. And then, listen intently to what they have to say. Once you’ve met some new contacts, follow up with them afterward. Continue the conversation beyond the initial interaction.
What would happen if you didn’t network as an entrepreneur
You will miss out on plenty of BIG opportunities. There’s an expression that people say, “Your network is your net worth.” Look at it like this, the more valuable connections that you have can be equal to or more important than your financial assets. The better you are at creating professional connections the better opportunities and social support you’ll have. Don’t skip out on networking because you think that it’ll be a waste of time. You couldn’t be further form the truth.
How can you get started with networking?
There are many different ways to get started, but the best way is to start understanding yourself. What do you want to accomplish? What activities with best suit your business? Where will you receive the greatest ROI? Answer some of these questions for yourself. then, figure out where you can go to meet the right people. This can be personal contacts (friends and family), networking groups (chamber of commerce or meetups), industry associations (groups in your industry), business events (trade shows and exhibitions), online networking (social media, email, LinkedIn). Then, really think through: what do you have to offer someone that you meet, how are you going to follow up with them, why do you want to connect with someone, and who are you trying to meet. It’s good to know these things in the back of your head, but do realize that clicking with someone is important too. It doesn’t always need to be transactional. If you truly value the relationship instead of trying to “make” something of it, they might know someone that knows someone.