The Benefits of Business Networking

Hands up who likes networking? Now, hands up who regularly attends business networking events?

My guess is that more people raised their hand for the second question than the first.

Not everybody likes networking; depending on your personality, you’re either the kind of person who likes to meet new people, feels comfortable introducing yourself, doesn’t mind public speaking and working a crowd...or you couldn’t imagine anything worse.

Networking events push many people out of their comfort zone, yet lots of business owners and their employees attend these events weekly or monthly. This is because they know that it benefits them as a business professional.

Here are just a few of the benefits business networking has to offer you and your business:

Increased leads

The people you meet at networking events are your potential clients. The more people you talk to about your business, the more likely it is that you will meet someone who is in need of your product/service. Vice versa, you may meet someone who offers something that you need.

Referrals generated

Talking to people at networking events about what it is you do and how you help people makes it much more likely that they will be able to refer you to someone they know. Don’t forget you will need to build the relationship first. Without trust, referrals rarely happen. Passing on referrals yourself is a good way of encouraging others to pass business on to you.

Shared knowledge

A room full of business professionals all from different industries and backgrounds contains a lot of expert knowledge. At a networking event you can tap into this knowledge by learning from the people that you meet. Plus, sharing your knowledge with others will establish you as an expert in your field, as well as someone who is happy to help others.

A raised profile

Getting your name and your business out there on a regular basis will help to raise awareness of yourself and your business brand. Attending networking events, helping others, passing on referrals and following up after events will establish yourself as someone who is reliable and an authority in your field. This will make it more likely that others will recommend you as someone they know that they can trust.

Increased confidence

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the best way to grow your skills and increase your confidence. It may be difficult to start with, but the more that you network, the easier it will become. This is especially true if you attend the same networking group on a regular basis, as you will get to know the other people who attend, and it’ll make you feel more comfortable when you walk into a room full of people you are familiar with.

A Plan

One of the most important things you should think about is having a plan for your networking.

What results do you want? Who’s there, who do they know and how likely are they to introduce you? RAON (random acts of networking) simply doesn’t work. Having a plan for your networking activities is one of the top ways to grow your business.

These are just a few of the numerous benefits of business networking events. So, if you’re not already attending networking events, it’s time to start.

Remember – networking requires work. When you invest your time, your net-WORKS