What do you do if your networking skills as an entrepreneur are lacking?

1-Realize your networking skills are lacking. Most don't for a long time because they don't know what it means, so they join a chamber, referral group, go to meet-ups and...make a lot of friends. 2-Recognize the difference between busy and productive, attending 4 events in one day and seeing the same people 4 times was not a productive use of Your time. 3-Networking is an Activity, learn the skills and strategies to be effective at the acitivity of networking. (get a coach) 4-Know how to effectively network so over time you do less of it but your pipeline is always full because YOUR NETWORK is filling it for you. 5th-Embrace Your Style!-You do not have to change who you are to be good at networking, no matter what. Connect With Intention.

So,I had issue in networking not understanding is networking just exchange of cards or exchanging our buisness verbally..slowly when I started understanding networking..Made a pitch,engaged in onversation which they would be interested in talking than asking for time by telling How can my training,coaching services can increase their ROI,iteration rate ,team bonding..they would give me appointment and also buisness. So being skillful helped and also listening to others too helped

The first step in improving your networking skills is to conduct an honest assessment of your current abilities. Reflect on past networking experiences and identify areas of strength, as well as areas that need improvement. Acknowledge both your strengths and weaknesses to lay the groundwork for any skill development. Identify specific aspects of networking where you excel and areas that present challenges. For example, you may be adept at initiating conversations but struggle to maintain them, or vice versa. Understanding these strengths and weaknesses provides clarity on where to focus your improvement efforts.

Make networking a habit. When skills are lacking, it's oftentimes because you're not doing it enough. Which then leads to less "practice" and less feedback. Build the confidence to communicate and network regularly and most importantly - create a habit of it.

Interacting with others to exchange information and ideas is critical. However, it doesn't have to take the form of a tranditional in person networking event. A lot has changed in the last few years following the pandemic. The benefit of leveraging technology, especially a platform like LinkedIn, is that you can connect and engage with likeminded people and groups quickly and easily. I would recommend active engagement (by posting and commenting) if you want to receive the maximum benefit. If you want to understand just how important people are to your success, read the book "Who not how" by Dan Sullivan.

Start with your why. LinkedIn is a perfect place to communicate the value you are providing and your 'why' to a targeted person or group of people. Come from a place of genuine curiosity and share your passion!

A great book that helped me with my networking skills was "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi. I learned to focus on the other person, asking them open-ended questions so you get to know them as a person, creating a bond so that the person leaves with a good opinion about you.