Active networking can pay off very well if you want to further your career. Though often mistaken for hard selling, effective networking is the exact opposite. It’s all about building and growing relationships with people who can help you—but not just so they can help you.
The best networkers focus on bringing value and goodwill to the people they meet. They give out free advice and tips and tricks the way most people give out business cards. And they know that, some day soon, in ways they can’t quite predict, all that good karma will come back by way of referrals, testimonials, and excited new clients.
Even so, you may not be that interested in in-person networking. Thanks to technology, with just a few minutes to spare each day, you can build and nurture a powerful network on LinkedIn. You can log into Facebook and meet people that will help take your career to the next floor. Frankly, networking has never been easier or less expensive.
So why shell out $500-$1,500 to attend a conference when you can log into all your social media accounts using free WiFi at the local Starbucks, right? Why spend all that time and effort when you need 15 minutes to grow your LinkedIn network?
Here are a few reasons:
1. Practice and perfect your pitch
Having a face-to-face conversation with someone is more than just about the words you hear. Listen to the passion in their voice. Read their expressions and body language. Understand them better, and then let them know how you can help. This builds up trust and respect much faster than an online conversation can.
Whenever you meet someone at a conference, you have the chance to make a long-lasting first impression that is much harder to duplicate online (without also spending a significant amount of money on a website and regular content). The longer you can keep a prospect interested in person, the more they’ll remember you.
Not to mention that in-person networking provides instant feedback. If you’ve been deciding between value props, taglines, or elevator pitches—why not test them out on a live audience? That way there’s no guesswork involved and you can quickly refine and optimize your messaging.
2. Get noticed and stay top of mind
Phone, email, chat, social—there are so many ways to keep in touch with leads and prospects these days. But distance is…
