How To Network In Business

Start With A Clear Agenda

There are many different situations, events, and groups that can be considered business networking opportunities. However, you should only join them if they are relevant to your goals. Otherwise, you’ll waste your time on a potentially fruitless activity.

To make the most of your networking, you should always have a clear purpose and an agenda. This will help you stay focused during meetings and prevent you from getting drawn into irrelevant discussions. In addition, you can use meeting templates to ensure your conversations are productive.

Ask For Referrals

Asking for a referral isn’t as daunting as it might seem, especially if you’ve built a relationship with your client and have a clear understanding of what they’re looking for. When you ask, be direct and make it clear that you’re not asking for a favour (though they might see it that way).

Try to get the first referral in during the honeymoon phase, which is right after your client has experienced the benefit of your product or service. This can be after a sale, a positive experience, or a new feature release.

Make Connections

Many networking events, meetings and activities are not specifically organized for business purposes. However, initiative and creativity can turn them into business networking opportunities. Business professionals can also network with peers to learn about new trends and practices in the industry.

Follow Up

Follow up is the key to business networking. Without it, you may never connect with anyone or get any referrals. However, the frequency and tenor of your follow ups should vary based on how much interest a prospect has shown in your product or service. Mapping out a follow up schedule will help you keep track of prospects and not let them slip through the cracks.