How Business Networking Works
I stumbled upon an article that discusses how business networking works. Here are a few good points that I wanted to share:
There's so much buzz about business networking that you might think that it's modern man's greatest invention. You hear so much about it that some people have almost come to regard it as a bad thing, as some sort of necessary evil.
- Business Networking Groups
Remember that everyone has a network -- even if you don't join groups set up for that purpose. You have relationships with people who might help you with your business goals (and whom you might help in return). Your relatives and neighbours are part of your network. So are people you meet at the gym, on the sidelines at children's ballgames, at church or just about anywhere you get to know people one-on-one.
Various groups that may not list business networking as their main goal can help you develop relationships. The Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees and other civic clubs offer ample networking opportunities. Local, regional and national professional and trade organizations for specific industries offer great networking opportunities at conventions and workshops and through e-mail lists and online forums. These associations may seek you out, and it's easy enough to find them online. Groups sometimes spring up when a number of colleagues in the same field find themselves out of work
- Social Networking for Business
Online social networking sites have taken business networking to a new level. Often, people find that using social networking sites makes it easy to stay in touch with business contacts. These sites make it simple to reconnect with people you've lost track of. And they provide a natural way to expand your circle of contacts by establishing relationships with friends of friends.
Many business people put the popular, general social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to good use. Other sites, such as LinkedIn, offer social networking targeted more to business connections. Ryze, Ning, Meetup and other Web sites provide business-oriented social networking and help professionals develop their own networks online. Some people also make good use of blogs -- their own, or someone else's -- for networking.
- Business Networking Tips
If you learn nothing else about business networking, remember that it's a two-way street. Networking is exchanging -- ideas, referrals, information, empathy or whatever you need. Successful networking builds relationships. You trust your network to help you when it can, and its members trust you to help them.
Whether you're working the room at an event or posting on a social networking site, if your only topics for discussion are yourself and your business, you're probably wasting your time.
Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.
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Thanks,
Robert