Tips for Effective Networking in Person or Online

I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to share an article I read about networking. Here are a few highlights:

Doing networking right can mean the difference between a mediocre career, and a successful one.

Here are tips for effective in-person networking:

• Be prepared

If you are the event host, make sure you have all the necessary materials ready, such as name badges, business cards and brochures about your business.

If you’re attending an external event, bring something to contain all the business cards you collect. If you get flustered when talking to people, try to rehearse what you’ll say beforehand.

• Set yourself a target

A networking event is not a social gathering — you are there to achieve something. Set yourself a target, such as the number of people you want to talk to or be introduced to.

• Don’t focus on selling

Networking is about developing relationships. So your main focus should be getting to know more people to?potentially work with them in the future, so avoid any sales pitches or business propositions.

Here are tips for effective online networking:

• Give referrals

Seek out opportunities not only for yourself but for others in your network. By looking out for ways to connect with people, you’ll make strong business connections yourself, and your contacts will remember you for it.

Send a quick introduction email to both parties and leave them to make a deeper connection from there.

• Revisit contacts that are already in your network

Your network includes everyone from friends and family, to work colleagues and members of groups to which you might belong.

If you network well, it shouldn’t feel like you’re using these networks to further your career. Rather, you should be building strong relationships with people of similar or complementary interests, with both self-growth and mutual benefits in mind.

• Use LinkedIn

LinkedIn is your strongest tool for networking online. Share interesting articles, contribute to the conversation and make comments on other articles, whether to participate in a friendly debate or to say thank you for writing the piece.

Don’t discount the insights of people from other industries — they may offer new angles you hadn’t previously considered.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspectives. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected] ; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert