Business Networking

Building confidence to network.

I was asked to go 'networking' by my previous employer. The aim was to meet people and increase community engagement. The idea was to get out there and show others the face behind the brand. At this prospect my initial gut reaction was driven by fear. There was NO WAY I wanted to walk into a room of strangers and start talking to them about my business. This sounds strange because I am quite a chatty and sociable person. However, the whole idea of networking with a group of unknown business people was quite frightening. Anyway, I was set a challenge, so I accepted it and went networking.

My first step was to build my own self confidence. Taking small steps towards a goal is the best way towards achieving it. So, I went on a course with work where 40 other delegates were in attendance. The course was great (related to leadership), but my personal goal was to introduce myself to each and every delegate over the 2 days. I also wanted to create a connection with as many people as possible. My aim was to remember others and also make a memorable first impression.

So, I would introduce myself and ask them an open question. "What brings you here today?" This was easy enough because we were all attending the same course. Asking an open question is the perfect opportunity to show real interest in the person you are talking to. The key here is to listen attentively to the response. There is no point in asking a question only to ignore the answer. After speaking to the first few people I met (and listening attentively to their responses) I realised I loved meeting new people. It wasn't scary at all.

Overcoming your fear

I absolutely loved hearing about other people, their lives and what their interests were. Of course I was scared initially. But I had set myself a challenge, a goal to reach. This allowed me to focus all of my energy on achieving the goal and not worrying about my own fear. Now, whenever I go networking I remember that feeling I get when I meet people for the first time!

So, what are the benefits of networking? Why make the effort to leave your desk / office / comfy armchair?

Networking provides an ideal environment for like-minded people to meet up and showcase their individual talents. In a business environment this provides an opportunity to sell yourself.

Remember, people buy people. Recently I have introduced myself to people as a Life Coach. The most frequent response was "Ooh I need a Life Coach myself!" To me, this was interesting. My response was "Why haven't you consulted one yet?" I was curious. The response was "Well I have looked online at the websites, but I don't know any of the Coaches personally. So I am yet to meet with one." This is an interesting point.

Build trust

If you are sharing the most intimate parts of your life; your hopes your dreams your ambitions; then you need to trust the person you are speaking to. A picture on a website just doesn't do this. You need to meet the person and find out if you develop a good rapport. Trust is an intricate subject and one I will discuss in another blog session!

So, bear that in mind when you are networking. It is the same with any business, people buy people. You are there to be you, so be natural and sell yourself. If people like you they will want to do business with you. If they have no business need they will refer colleagues to you.

Your business will not sell itself. People don't randomly search the Internet for your website, you need to get out there and showcase your talents. Tell people what you do, why you do it and what you can offer. The great news about networking is that you just need to be yourself.

Networking is about letting people know about you. They will then tell their friends, colleagues, clients etc. You will then do the same with the contacts you have made. There is no hard sell at a networking event.

So, what are the real reasons people go networking?

Some people go to make friends. Others want to build business connections. Many go to increase their commercial presence. It is a great excuse to get out of the office and have a change of scenery. Networking is also great for building support, it can be lonely running your own business. Ultimately you can find your own motivation. If you attend a good group it will never feel like a chore to attend. If you feel the group would benefit from one of your ideas, do share them. The worst thing to happen is that the host politely declines. It shows you are interested and want to contribute.

So, find a group, make contact and build your connections!