Key Networking Tips That Anyone Can Use
Networking is a large and very important aspect of business. It is how you build relationships and communities with people in order to exchange information and ideas with other professionals. The steps in building your network are crucial because you want to surround yourself with people that you can trust will give effective feedback and ideas that can help you and your business grow. This is most definitely easier said than done so we’ve included some tips to help you succeed in networking.
Carry Business Cards At All Times
You never know who or where you’ll meet someone that can join your network so you want to always carry business cards with you. You can simply have a conversation with them and hand them your card instead of having to scramble around looking for a pen and paper. It makes you seem organized and professional!
Attend Relevant Networking Events
There are plenty of networking opportunities everywhere, it’s just a matter of which ones to attend. You can simply google “Networking Near Me” and find hundreds of different groups and communities already committed to helping people expand their network. With that being said, you want quality over quantity so you should pick out 4 or 5 events per month that you think best suit you and the line of work you are in.
Have Two-Way Conversations
When trying to build your network, you want to be sure that you are selecting the right people that can help you. You can start a conversation by opening with your name, what you do for work, and how you’re trying to improve your business. However, you do not want to just talk about yourself, ask them about their business, what they want to improve upon, and how you can help them grow.
Follow Up
After having a successful interaction with someone you may want to build a business relationship with, make sure you follow up shortly after to remind them of your interaction and how you can move forward. This could be in the form of an email, text, or LinkedIn message. This should generally be done within a day or two of meeting them.
Stay Consistent
Building and maintaining a network will not be done overnight! You will not always meet people that are right for your network but you need to stick to the process. Practice makes perfect so you want to get out to your networking groups and meet more and more people.
And what better place to start building your network than at a business center! All American Business Centers already has a large group of affiliate partners that you could join today at no cost. We are part of other networking groups such as the Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce (now Connect Macomb) and the Italian American Chamber of Commerce.
All American Business Centers is located in Bellagio of Lakeside (13854 Lakeside Circle, Sterling Heights, Michigan). To reserve your workspace or find more information, call (586) 580-4977 or visit leaseaabc.com.