It is the nature of a person to do business with people they
are familiar with, like and of course, trust. As a business person, you have to
be serious in building your business network as this can definitely take your
business to new heights.
Below are some business networking tips that will help you
grow your professional network:
1. Be willing to share your ideas and expertise.
By helping the people in your network to become better or
stronger, you are allowing them to be in a better position to help you in the
future. You can help them by sharing your ideas, expertise, and information.
You may also promote the accomplishments and whatever your network is engaged
in.
2. Build a good reputation for yourself.
In the corporate world, people always choose to do business
with people who they think are valuable for their own business. Thus, you
should present yourself as someone who is helpful, skillful, and valuable. When
you have this kind of reputation, people will find more reasons to meet you and
have a business relationship with you.
3. Stay in touch and remain visible.
You will not be able to build a network if nobody knows who
you are and what you do. Thus, it is important that you have a group of people
with whom you can consistently communicate or get in touch. There are many ways
you can connect to them, such as through social networking, blogging, emails,
and in person as well. Take note also that you should be visible where you can
meet the people you want to meet and hang out with.
4. Always look at the bigger picture and think long term.
The connections you have are the ones that will open many
doors of opportunities for you, but it is your relationships with them that
will enable you to close deals with your network. Keep in mind that networking
is not all about connecting on LinkedIn and exchanging business cards with
other business people. You can benefit the most from networking when it is long
lasting. This means that you should keep in touch with those people you like,
and be patient until you eventually build a strong and lasting relationship.
5. Don’t forget to follow up!
You should always strive to have a reputation as somebody
who is persistent and one who delivers on their promises. If you promise
something to someone, make sure that you follow it up on them. You should never
let them feel ignored and taken for granted.
As any businessconsultant will say, the objective of professional networking is to gather
information, improve your visibility in the industry, and most of all, build
personal connections. All of these will help grow your business and advance
your career.
