For many business owners networking can seem like a chore. You know it needs to be done but there are plenty of other things you would rather be doing. Furthermore, with 95% of people saying that face-to-face meetings are essential for long-term business relationships, is networking something you can afford to avoid? Whilst there are many important business benefits to be had from networking, the truth is you will only get out of it what you put into it – so if you’ve got to be networking you might as well be making the best of it. Here’s some top tips on how to be a successful networker:
Do your research
Find out who will be attending the event by asking the organiser for a list of attendees. This will ensure you make the most of your valuable time by talking to those people who will be most relevant for your business. It will also help you to prepare the questions that are going to provide you with the most beneficial information.
Ask questions you would like to be asked
There will be certain bits of information you’ll want to get across to your fellow networkers to give the best impression of yourself, and one of the best ways to make sure they get this information is to ask them the questions you would like to be asked. Once they’ve finished answering they are very likely to ask ‘How about you?’.
Adjust your body language
You want to be able to talk to a wide range of people at the event.To encourage others to talk to you it is important that you come across as friendly and approachable. A warm smile, a firm handshake and some direct eye contact will go a long way to making you a networking success.
Remember to listen
If you are only interested in doing a hard sell of your services then other networkers will lose interest in talking to you very quickly. Listening is just as important at networking events as talking and people love to talk about themselves, particularly when someone appears genuinely interested in what they have to say.
Attend the events that are best suited to you
For any form of networking to be successful it needs to be at the right type of event for your business. It is important that the list of attendees includes companies that your business would benefit from connecting with and it needs to be an event that you are happy to involve yourself in properly to fully get the most benefit from attending.
The South Coast Golf Tour is a series of networking events where fruitful business relationships are built out on the golf course. Become a member today or find out more about how a South Coast Golf Tour membership could benefit your business by contacting David on 07881 810847.