Why Networking Is the Most important Part Of Growing Your Business!!

A lot of people have asked me how I’ve grown my business within the five years I’ve been running Brunton Media.

One of the key aspects has been networking, so I’d like to use this post to explain why I feel everyone who’s running a business should find ways to network. One good way is to attend events created specifically by and for business people to start conversations with people who have the same interest.?

Just to give you some context: Every month I go to many networking events, that allows me to connect with people all over the UK as well as the world. So my first bit of advice would be to do some research and find out what networking events are being offered near you.

But, you may be asking, why should I even think about going to a networking event in the first place? I would argue that the most important thing is not what you know, it is whom you know. This is of course only half true because the first thing you need to do in business is to create a good product or service. But when you have that taken care of, you need to help people find out about what you do, and that’s what networking is used for.

To be honest, when I first started to network and to talk to new people that I didn’t really know, I found it to be quite a challenge. Especially if you’re not very extroverted, it’s going to be hard to put yourself out there and keep doing so on a regular basis.

But like with anything, you should always try to push yourself outside your?comfort zone, as I think it’s one of the best ways to allow you to grow your business and yourself as a person.

I’d also like to point out a few other things to think about when taking on the idea of networking. The best way I’ve found to start a conversation with someone is to get them to talk about themselves, for example about “How is business?” Or, if you have met them before and they mentioned their children or family, etc., do your best to remember those little details, so you can ask about them at the next meeting. This will likely mean a lot to the person you’re speaking with, as you show an interest in him or her as a person, and not a lot of people tend to remember details like that.

In a networking meeting, try to be yourself, be as relaxed as you can, and never try to hard sell.. I’ve mentioned this many times - you will achieve more if you just start talking to like-minded people and keep looking for opportunities to offer your product or service tailored or related to what they do. Then you can normally follow up by suggesting to grab a coffee next week and have a chat about what you might be able to add to their business.

When it comes to “selling” anything, I’ve learned that you need to find out more about who the person is who could use the thing you’re selling, and then build a meaningful relationship with that person.?Then help them understand why them using video (in my specific case) might have a positive impact on their business

The final bit of advice I’d give to anyone who is looking to do anything in business, is to enjoy the journey and be patient. If you believe in what you are doing, then others will too, given the right amount of time.

I hope this post was helpful, and I would love to hear how you found your first networking experience! And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Happy networking!