The why of Networking

When you are an entrepreneur slogging hard to make your business a success, you need to work smart and use all the possible tools in hand. This includes joining networks, attending meets, interacting, collaborating, actively participating, proposing initiatives et al. While all this might seem like too much work, considering how busy you already are and how pressed for time; this is a much needed task.

You want to know why? Then go through the points below and if these resonate with you and make sense, then put them to use and see how your business grows.

Be like a bee

A bee never just sits on one flower always. It goes from flower to flower collecting honey. As it collects honey it also gives back something to the flower. A pollen here, a pollen there and soon you have a garden full of beautiful flowers of different hues. Similarly, when you network you take with you contacts that you already have; you make new contacts, you also get the opportunity to connect with the contacts of the people you network with. Imagine this A meets B, B introduces A to C, C introduces A and B to D..... so on and so forth. Isn’t this a win win situation?

Be a Student

While you network, you come across all kinds of people. Some great successes at their business, some failures at all ventures, some learners, some preachers, some teachers, some experienced veterans! These are your teachers! If you pay close attention, you will learn so much in a single night’s interaction. If you are a good learner, you might even get an opportunity to meet the best of the best personally and take private tuition from them. The possibilities are endless. Networking will always ... repeat always .. give you take always.

Be a sponge

Observe and absorb as much as possible. You will gain insight into so many market trends just by paying attention. You don’t need to necessarily know everything there is to know about the industry when you start off, but believe me, you will be a lot richer in terms of industry knowledge by the end of a meet.

Take away

The most important take away of Networking are the referrals. Most referrals referred at networking meets are of high quality and are genuinely genuine. When a person refers someone to someone, his reputation is also at stake here. So he will make sure that he passes on good referrals. How you convert the referrals is up to you!

Participate

Don’t just be a face in the crowd when you attend networking events. Straighten your shoulders, put on your best smile and have a conversation with people. You are here not for the free coffee or snacks, you are here to meet, interact and gain some. Unless you talk about yourself and your business, no one will know you. 

You need to make your presence felt for people to remember you and thus want to stay in touch with you.

In all, Networking is not just about dressing up and going into a room full of entrepreneurs. It is about letting the world know that you too are an entrepreneur and that you too are here to profit as much to teach and learn.