Networking has been a vital part of the business community for a long time. Networking is practiced for a variety of reasons. The top reason is to meet that next possible client or source of referrals. As a business owner, I realize the value in getting out and exercising the social muscles and connecting with people. I have also met business owners and operators that choose not to use this strategy to build business connections. In this blog, I share a few answers to the question of business networking. Is it right for you?

The ideas expressed in this post are based on this common definition of business networking. It is the activity businesspersons participate in with a goal of forming business relationships and to discover, create and engage in business opportunities. Starting with the positives. Business Networking is RIGHT for you if;

You are a new business. Especially if your business has a product or service that other businesses and individuals are already looking for and need to know you are there for them, and open for business.

You are looking for constructive input from others. Business networking can be the best opportunity for getting input from others on your business offering.  Ask for honest feedback and be prepared to get it. If you have a product or service you have to spend a lot of time explaining to others, it may be time to revisit your business purpose and brand message.

You are eager to share with others.  In a number of networking groups, there is a philosophy of “give to get”. This philosophy has proven to be a great model. Your eagerness to share news and information, resources, books, or a referral will pay you big in two ways. 1) the great feeling you get from helping someone without expectation of anything in return, and 2) the distinct possibility that you are the one that will be remembered when the tables are turned.

You are prepared to introduce your business in 10 seconds or less. This may seem a little out of place, but it truly is important.  At a networking meeting or event, there are a lot of potential connections and they are there to meet a lot of potential connections. If you are prepared to introduce your business in just a few seconds, you can move on to the best part of the encounter. Listening to the other person.

You are a better listener than a talker. I hit on this in the introduction idea, but it can’t be emphasized enough.  Spending more time talking than listening kills the chance for someone to tell you that you have something they need. They won’t say it in a direct statement in most cases. It may look a little more like this. “I’m Mario and I just opened a new restaurant in town. I have big plans to grow this unique place into the most popular dining, meeting and party venue in this area.”  

Most people just heard Mario say he opened a unique restaurant and they may be very interested in going there to try the food. That would help Mario. But to a public relations and marketing professional, that statement just opened a huge door for a potential business relationship.   

You have clear goals in mind before you go. If you are going to a networking meeting or event without a clear goal in mind, you are sure to accomplish that goal and walk away with nothing, nada, zip zilch, and the big ZERO.

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On the other side of the coin, business networking is truly not for everyone. There is hope for anyone who falls into this category because it really boils down to motive and attitude. Business networking can be so beneficial, but it is NOT for you if;

You are desperate for business. Well, of course, you want to generate business, but if this is the only motivation for networking, others will see it and perceive your business as a failure. Worse, they will perceive you as self-centered and dispassionate, even if that isn’t the case at all.

You are compelled to sign up for every event at every venue! If you are interested in volunteering, look for worthy organizations and do that.  Looking for a social club? There are plenty of those out there.  Stick to selective events and opportunities that will give you the best connections in the time you have carved out for them.

You only want to sell. Again, givers get. If a business owner or representative goes into a networking environment looking to meet a sales quota, others will see through that and most likely be turned off.

You care more about business than relationship building. Most business owners and their representatives are interested in connecting with good potential partners, clients, and referrals. These connections can only be made in the process of developing a relationship.

You don’t care to follow up with those you meet while networking. ‘Been there done that’ is not a good business networking attitude. Collecting business cards as a courtesy to the other party is tactless and rude if you have no intention of following up.

You are going to an event to meet up with old friends and colleagues. I went to a business networking luncheon to meet some new local connections and soon realized the people at the table where I was seated were all acquainted. In fact, one of them was proud to tell me that they look forward to these luncheons and deliberately sit together so they can catch up.  What the …?!

You don’t really know what networking is. Always a great idea to do some homework and learn what business networking is and what is the purpose behind it. The next step is to learn how to put your best networking foot forward. These steps will save some time, money, and a lot of embarrassment.

This is where we usually add a note about our business and ask you to contact us if we can help you with your branding, marketing, or public relations strategies. But what I really want to do here is share some information with you.  If you are at a business networking meeting in the St Louis area and you see me on the list of attendees, I hope you’ll introduce yourself. I’ll be glad to meet you!