Published: 26 Jan 2023
Regardless of the sector, profession or industry you work in, for many business owners the very thought of networking fills them with dread. However, networking is an important part of the business owner’s role and can bring with it many benefits – both to the business and to the individual.
There are many types of local business and industry-specific networking events to be found. Each type of networking has its own value. It is worth researching the options available to you and finding the ones that will be most relevant to you. Networking isn’t a quick fix to gaining new business. It is an important part of a longer-term strategy based around building relationships and getting to know other people.
Networking forms an important part of the events organised by TSA, and as Rachel Tyrrell, TSA Secretary General explains: “TSA holds a number of events throughout the year and members find that the networking gains from these events are numerous. Very often it is the fact that business leaders, managers and owners get to talk freely and honestly as peers under the umbrella of TSA. Shared challenges, opportunities and nuggets of information are immensely valuable and, while hard to quantify sometimes, have led to members believing TSA events provide immense value in this area. After all, it is all about people – making just one or two good connections at an event can lead to a lifetime of collaboration, which benefits everyone and broadens horizons.”
Expert voice
Networking is a great way to help position you as an expert. In a local business environment, you will find you have an opportunity to explain what you do and how you work. You might be speaking to someone from a totally unrelated sector, but it is often more about the people they know, who they can mention you to, rather than them looking to ‘buy’ from you themselves. When you are networking within a profession or sector-related setting, you always want to position yourself as the expert voice. This can be done by asking questions and sharing your own knowledge.
Making connections
Networking is also about developing your own personal network. People you meet and talk to at specific events may prove to be a valuable connection later on – whether this is from the point of view of business development, personal growth – or even just because something clicked when you were speaking to them. Don’t feel under pressure to promote yourself directly. Remember to look to build a mutually beneficial relationship, rather than making a direct sale.
Follow-up
It is not enough to just have a nice chat at an event; for networking to work for you it is important that you follow-up with the connections you make. A LinkedIn request is the most obvious and easiest way to do this, although a personal email after the event can have even more impact. One of the most important things to remember is to be genuine and really personalise your follow-up so the person you are connecting with knows that you are genuinely interested in developing the relationship further.
