Landing business opportunities through networking

The world of business is dominated by networking. It’s a way of meeting new business contacts and connecting with companies and clients in your sector. There are many ways to do this in person and the most common is attending networking events.

Approach networking with enthusiasm

It’s important to approach networking with enthusiasm and an open mind. Identify which events will be most beneficial to you, where there is good possibility there will be companies that will be useful to your sector. This will help you in generating leads from other attendees.

You need to be approachable and have a well-rehearsed, albeit brief, verbal resume of who you are and what you do. You’ll be able to tell by body language, enthusiasm and conversation if the prospective contact is interested in pursuing the chat further beyond introductions and pleasantries.

Always make sure you have business cards with you on the day. Once you have exchanged details you must follow up any leads you have generated. This can be via phone calls or emails, and hopefully will lead to a meeting to discuss how you can be of service to them and their company.

Industry events

Another good way of meeting prospective clients face to face is at industry exhibitions and trade fairs. These business events are geared towards specific sectors, so it’s easy to see where your business may fit in. Don’t just look at the obvious ones either. Forge Property Consultants has looked at attending all kinds of shows, from those dealing with property and construction, to farming and affiliated industries. If the event is geared towards a certain sector of your industry, be sure to give that aspect of your business due prominence in your presence there – be it a liveried exhibition stand, or a well-rehearsed opening gambit.

Online networking

In the digital age, in-person networking isn’t the only way to go. Even if you are remotely based – as in the case of a business working across a wide, perhaps rural, geographical area – online social media such as LinkedIn can help you connect with like-minded individuals and companies. Be sure to make your profile on the site appeal to as wide an audience as possible. This will maximise your opportunities to connect. But of course you don’t get the same sense of someone’s personality online to meeting them in person and there’s substitute for face to face networking.

Charles Lawson, Director