Member Article

Are you afraid...of networking?

A room full of strangers and nowhere to hide? How do you survive?

Working within the business sector, attending networking events is absolutely crucial to maintain good visibility and promote your business. Although electronic marketing has come a long way and can be very effective, there is nothing like meeting people face to face to develop that essential rapport required for developing a strong, lasting business relationship.

During a recent Twitter takeover here at the North East BIC , we were kindly invited to host the #NE Followers #NE Hour slot on “Networking Events”. A common strand throughout this was many SME’s and business owners asking for advice about how they can successfully network.

There is no real secret to networking, as it’s actually a very natural process to socialise and meet new people. However, for those embarking on unfamiliar territory these top tips might help you along your way:

Business cards

Make sure that you have business cards handy to distribute, and that you have a safe place to keep those given to you. These are essential for staying in touch with people and making the most out of your contacts

Dress the part

Dress as if you were attending an interview. I always ensure that I am dressed professionally, and look clean and am well groomed. First impressions are lasting and can greatly influence how you are treated and viewed, remember you are representing your business.

Treat others as you would like to be treated

If you are engrossed in a conversation and spot someone hovering uncertainly on their own, invite them into the talk. Smile, make eye contact and gesture for them to come over. They will be very grateful, and speaking from experience it’s reassuring when you are new to networking and somebody does this to you. You also don’t forget that person who invited you in – and you never know they could turn out to be a valuable contact.

Have a hook

The beauty of networking is that it’s not a sales pitch. If you have a product or service, now is not the time to go in all guns blazing with a sell, sell, sell attitude. Relax, chat and listen to others. If you have something exciting happening, by all means talk about it and distribute literature, but keep it brief. You could always follow up in more depth later.

Don’t play it safe

If you know someone, your automatic reaction is to stand and chat to them. But make sure that you don’t stay with them the full time. Maintain contact, then move on. Ensure that you are doing what you are set out to do: network and meet NEW people and make NEW contacts.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Saul .