Published 2 July 2016
If networking intimidates you or you think you don’t need to do it, think again. In today’s highly competitive world, being a confident and effective networker sets you apart from the crowd. You become more visible, always feel in control and will always create more business opportunities than the average. Most people yearn for this vital skill.
You can’t be successful at networking if you don’t understand what it is. Networking is about who you know. The more people you know and the greater the diversity there is in your contact database, the more successful you will be. Networking is about making sure that others know that you know what they know.
Effective networking is an essential part of a business as established relationships can make the company stand out against the competition. Making connections and maintaining relationships with people who support your business completely can be the key to the success for your business. By effectively building a network of business associates, supplies and sponsors; you are ensuring that whenever you need a new client or to develop your skills further, you can call upon your network to help you.
Networking is about who knows what you need to know. To be an effective networker, you need to have relationships with people who have the expertise and experience to help you achieve your goals. As an effective networker, you should create a broad base of people with whom you are connected and your relationship with your network should benefit you and those whom you know.
To become a savvy networker you must always have a strategy. Before you attend any event or engage in any opportunity, you should consider the basics of why, what, who and how. Why are you networking? What do you hope to accomplish? Who will who be exposed to? How can you help those whom you will meet and how will the relationships you develop be mutually beneficial?
To develop as an effective networker you need to be enthusiastic and energetic, and they always make things happen. You must have excellent listening skills, always be on work mode and always take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and most importantly you have to be helpful to others.
References
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2012/11/30/16-quick-tips-to-become-a-better-networker/
