Networking Tips & Tricks

With many upcoming holiday events, be sure to network with those around you. Networking is the learnable skill of building professional relationships with others. Establishing relationships with new clients, finding a new job opportunity or new employees, and increasing sales are just a few reasons of why business networking is important. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you expand and develop a strong network:

Talk with new people

This sounds very obvious, but during social gatherings it is easy to gravitate towards friends or people you know well. We tend to be creatures of habit. Sit at a table with people you don’t know to network and get to know as many people as possible. Put yourself out there and get to know new people.

Ask good questions

When you first meet someone, don’t immediately try to start selling them your pitch. Get to know them by asking them questions. You can learn a lot from others by asking good questions while also making the other person feel important and valued.

Have effective body language

Effective body language, like tilting your head when listening to someone, helps to communicate to them that you are paying attention to them. Give them eye contact too. One of the most obvious non verbal cues that someone is uninterested in what you are saying is when they break eye contact.

Exchange contact information

Be sure to exchange contact information, like giving out a business card so that you can keep in touch.

Follow up after the event

After networking with someone face to face, send them a quick email to thank them for talking with you. Remember that networking is a two way street. It should be mutually beneficial to both people. Do you have any tips that have helped you successfully network? Comment below and share with us. Tags: Business, business tips, marketing, networking