What do you do if your networking efforts as an entrepreneur are falling flat?

1. Engage with past clients, and offer services /consultations or discounts. 2. Attend local events or join online communities. 3. Collaborate with other businesses for promotions. 4. Utilize social media for networking and content sharing. 5. Volunteer for community involvement and exposure. 6. Connect with industry influencers for collaborations.

This is always going to be a challenge for most of the start-ups. If my networking efforts as an entrepreneur falter below are few things I do: 1. Evaluate strategies. 2. Expand network avenues. 3. Refine communication. 4. Prioritize follow-up. 5. Provide value to contacts. 6. Seek feedback and adapt persistently.

1. I usually try to review my methods to see what’s going wrong. 2. I try really hard to participate in local events and webinars and talk to different people. 3. I maintain contact with my current network. 4. I may host my own events through my network and allow them to bring guests. 5. Networking doesn’t really need to always take place at professional events. Sometimes you may bump into people at family events, etc.

Revamping networking efforts can sound like a low blow on your confidence but with the right goals in mind, it can be mastered. For starters, following are the points that can be kept in mind 1. While networking, initiate the conversation with an objective of listening to the other person's story. Nobody will be interested in you if you don't sound and appear interested in them 2. Don't be salesy while initiating a network. Every person is not a lead and even if he/she is, let the development happen after you've established a good rapport. 3. A network building activity must have a goal. Be it collaboration or awareness, clarify the same while initiating the conversation.

People value knowledge and information, which is the basis of creating a network of high-value individuals. Voicing out your opinions online on relevant groups or communities is key to letting people out there know that you possess a value that they don't but would like to know more. That prompt alone will lead whoever is interested in you to engage. Repeat that a couple of times and you will have a rich network whether they are made online or through face-to-face interactions.

In addition to revamping your approach and diversifying your network, focus on building genuine relationships instead of just exchanging business cards at these events (I don’t understand why people do this). Offer real value and be interested in what people have to say.