Today is the Third Annual International Networking Day, part of a week-long celebration for people who grow their business through networking. It’s hard for me to believe that I have only been networking for five years, because it’s now such an important part of my life! Although these days, much of my networking is conducted online through social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, I still try to attend live events at least once or twice a month. Since I rarely provide services in person, it’s less important for me to market my business locally, but I believe it’s important for all small business owners to form strong connections within their community.
As I’ve said many times before, networking isn’t just about getting clients; it’s about building relationships. Meeting with other entrepreneurs, whether it’s over a meal or at a “business after business” type gathering, can give you access to more insights and ideas and open up more doors than you could ever imagine. Chances are that when you network online, you seek out specific types of contacts; maybe experts in your field from whom you can learn, or maybe people in your target market. I’m not saying that’s not worthwhile, but when you go to a live networking event, especially a smaller gathering where everyone stands up to introduce themselves, you’ll meet people that you might not have approached online or in a crowd. You might encounter:
- someone who shares common interests
- someone who offers services or products that you need for your business
- someone who offers services or products that you need personally
- someone who offers services or products that might interest your friends, neighbours, relatives, clients, etc.
- someone who knows someone that could be your next ideal client
The possibilities are endless!
Don’t expect to see immediate results though – it’s about building relationships, and that takes time. Would you expect to go to a singles mixer and come home engaged? That being said, although it’s rare, there have been a couple of times that I’ve gone to a networking event, met someone for the first time, and they immediately wanted to do business with me.
So, what can you do this week to strengthen your network? Here are a few suggestions:
- Attend a networking event, and sit beside someone you don’t know (if it’s a stand-up event, walk up to someone)
- Send a note or email to stay in touch with someone you’ve met previously
- Introduce two people in your network who would benefit from knowing each other
Any other suggestions?