Business Networking 101: What is it and why bother?
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In today’s market, it’s not enough to just have a good idea and a solid business model. Given the rough economic ground we’re currently treading, your competitors are certain to possess both in spades. So how can you help your company stand out from the crowd? Through effective business networking.
Before we go too much further, let’s define “business networking” for those of you who may be new to this topic or practice. According to About.com “business networking” is the “process of establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with other business people and potential clients and/or customers.”
Every time you engage in networking, you have the potential to impress someone new, and if you go about it in the right way, because of the nature of “mutual benefit,” you can tune them in to what you and your business are doing.
So how can you improve your current network reach, and catapult your business further into success? Simple, start focusing less on what your network can do for your business, and start focusing more on what your business can do for your network. Effective business networking involves building real relationships with real people, instead of just viewing the field from the detached perspective of an income generating entity. Keep your network close and allow yourself to really care about everyone in it as an individual, and you should already be well on your way to networking success.
“But if I’m only concentrating on building respect, friendship, and trust within my current network, how can I expect it to grow?” Well, much like high school and college social cliques, effective business networking revolves around getting to know the right people, and getting to know them the right way. Starting out with a close network of like-minded business people who have nothing but the utmost respect for you will help you meet new people to share your ideas and business with, and your current network is likely to help introduce you to more and more of these sorts of individuals. A key idea to remember is to treat everyone as if they could potentially expand your network. Even if an individual doesn’t seem to know many key players in your field of business, these things can change quickly, especially if said individual knows how to network.
As you can see, networking is a lot like making friends, with the added benefit that the friends you make can benefit you professionally, and, ultimately, financially. If you’re not quite convinced that effective business networking is a necessary part of your success in the world of business, consider this: networking will introduce more people to your business, and the more people know your business, the more likely they are to do business with you. So, isn’t it about time you got started on the path to successful and effective business networking?
