One of the best activities that you can engage in that will help to grow your business or boost your career is to meet new people. In a business environment, a common way to do this is to seek out and attend networking events. Sometimes networking events may be stand-alone events that are purely for networking. On other occasions they may be tagged onto the end of seminars or trade shows. Either way, taking advantage of these events and knowing how to get the most out of them will help you to be effective when you attend them.
Networking Isn’t All About Sales
There is a common misconception that networking events are all about sales. The thought that people will be stuck in a room with people trying to sell to them all day is what puts a lot of people off attending. If you launch straight into a sales pitch the first time you meet someone, then it is likely that they will switch off immediately and you will have blown your chance. To get the most from these events, you should have a mindset of ‘what can I do for other people’.
Going in with this mindset is beneficial for you in a number of ways. Listening to other people will not only help you to better understand what their need is, but you may also find that you resonate with that need or that their business could help you with services you are looking for.
Go Local First
You might be surprised at the diversity of businesses that are around in your local area. Starting locally will help you to build up a good network and will enable you to recommended local businesses that you have met. For example if you are looking for a reputable SEO and web designer Birmingham has companies such as ALT Agency that have 18 years worth of experience under their belts, which you may meet at a local event. You could meet a local business such as this and refer their work to other local businesses, and this kind of referral can work both ways, of course.
Building up a good reputation in the local community is a must and networking with other local businesses is a great way to start doing this. You may also be invited to other events or to do talks once you start meeting the right people.
Be Prepared for the Event
Networking events are all about meeting new people and building connections. If you are feeling nervous about an event then it might be a good idea to do some networking preparation. This could be thinking of generic opening questions that you might ask people to start a conversation. It could also be putting together a 10-second elevator pitch to introduce yourself and your business to new contacts.
Another thing to remember is business cards. Everyone should have their own card that they can hand out at events like this. Although people have smartphones and can connect on sites like LinkedIn, a business card will ensure that you walk away from the event knowing that a potential client or partner definitely has your details to hand.
