The Right Way to Network in 2017

In business, the old saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” often holds true. LinkedIn reports 85 percent of jobs come through networking. Connections open doors, create opportunities, and make the business world an exciting and dynamic place. Networking is crucial to making meaningful connections in your niche, but many people feel painfully uncomfortable engaging with others at networking events. Use these tips to improve your networking game.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

When you are anxious about networking, one important thing to practice is stepping out of your own comfort zone and thinking outside the box. Attend events for industries that are parallel to your own. Tag along with friends when they attend conferences to meet people with whom you would otherwise never come in contact. Talk to your vendors to find out about their other clients. Build a list and use it to host your own networking events. Attend startup events to connect with fresh faces who are passionate about what they do.

Build Relationships

If you go into a networking event with the intent of making contacts who will benefit your business, you might walk out with a few names, but that’s all you’ll get. Instead, make a point of building relationships.

Everyone you meet has a story, a background, a meaning and purpose outside of business. Find out what’s important to them and let them know they’re important to you. The first time you meet, take note of their interests and any personal information they offer. Make a point of following up within two days of meeting them, just to make a brief contact. Keep relationship-building as your top goal, and let business connections form around those relationships.

Ask Meaningful Questions

Introverts have an especially difficult time reaching out. If the idea of interacting with a large number of people makes you anxious, attend events with the goal of connecting with just two people. People love to talk about themselves, so it won’t take much prompting to get them to open up. Come prepared with a list of meaningful questions and really listen to get a feel for the person behind the answers:

• What makes you tick?
• How does your company stand out from its competitors?
• What are some of the best parts of your job?
• How do your core values line up with the values of your company?

Use Technology to Stay in Touch

Use your technology at the next networking event to store contacts. Evernote lets you take a photo of a contact’s business card and store it straight to your phone. Meetup posts events that might be of interest in your area.

When you can’t connect in person, do it remotely. Offer webinars and video conferences over the internet to network with business owners in other states.

Social media offers an easy way to network without being intrusive. Sign up for an account with sites such as LinkedIn or Xing. Look for networkers in your field who have at least 500 connections. Invite them to connect by briefly explaining how you can help them, either by offering resources or other contacts.

Join groups and discussions on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Start a blog and offer links on social media.

Networking is an important way to grow your business, but you need your finances in order to have something to grow from. Diversified Management Services, Inc., knows one of the most important parts of running your business is managing the books. Contact us today for a free consultation.