SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Networking
How To Successfully Network Yourself
The
Power of Networking Yourself
Ask
any successful business person the secret to their success,
and you are almost guaranteed to hear a story
that involves meeting someone who gave them their chance and
opened the door for them. Being at the right place,
at the right time and meeting the right person has taken many people
to the top of their game. That is why networking is so important
in the business world. When you are at a trade show, a meet
and greet, or even the hotel bar while on a business trip,
you never know when you are going to meet the person who will
change the course of your career forever. Successful networking
can be the difference between a lackluster career that is going
nowhere fast and rocket ride to the top of the corporate ladder.
If you’re just entering the business world, you should make
use of every networking opportunity available to you. Through
networking, you should be trying to make contacts who may be
useful to you in the job you are now, who can help your advance
within the company you are in now, and who may be able to help
you reach your ultimate career goals in the future. If you’re
new to networking, try networking with people you already know.
Family friends, old professors, distant relatives; look at
them in a new way and evaluate who might have contacts that
can help you achieve your objectives. Contacts don’t have to
actually perform the task you need to get done; make contacts
with people who themselves have contacts with people you need
to know, and let them open the door for you. Research has shown
that people who approach someone after being “vouched for”
by another contact are 75% more successful at making a sale
or obtaining a service than people who use a “cold call” method.
If you’re new to the business world, you should join as many
professional organizations as you can and attend as many of
their meetings as you can. Local groups exist in most areas
that arrange meet and greets for business people; these events
are invaluable for meeting the people who make up the business
community in your area and getting to know them. When you need
to call on someone, you will find people are much more receptive
and committed to helping you if they can put a name to a face
and have had a past interaction with you.
For small
business owners, networking lets you get the word
out about your business without spending all the money on advertising
the big guys do. If you attend a trade show and get a few meetings
with relevant companies and pass out some business cards, your
face to face interaction with a potential business partner
can be worth more than all the glossy literature the major
corporations can churn out. In networking environments, your
personal touch can be your selling point.
Women in the business world often find themselves competing
against the boys’ club. For this reason, networking groups
for women only can be found in most cities. Business women
who take part in these groups report that the impact on their
business has been profound. Within these groups, women can
help each other open new doors and create new business opportunities.
In business, the old saying, “it’s not what you know, but
who you know” holds true. If you want to know the right people,
you have to get out there and network. Without it, your career
will be left in the dust.
# # # # # SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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