How to Start A Business Course – Launching Your Business: Networks & Communities – Part 14/26

There’s no denying that the entire experience of planning, launching, growing, and scaling a small business is filled with many challenges and contradictions. The entrepreneurial journey is severely nerve-racking, filled with risks, and could often become a lonely path. However, through well-executed professional networking, the entrepreneurial journey can become thrilling, filled with invaluable opportunities, and supportive, as well as like-minded professionals.

Within the fast-paced, hyper-connected, and hyper-competitive world, we find ourselves in, networking has become more essential than ever. Leveraging its powers can become an invaluable building block to success for your start-up business. These days, it’s become more about who you know, rather than what you know.

“Building the optimal network is both an art and a science.”

Professional networking is considered an art, as it requires various communication, connectivity, and authenticity skill sets, as well as the ability to become and remain present and engaged throughout the conversation. It also requires strategic analyses and audits of individuals within a network, as well as a sustained curiosity around the levels of diversity and connectivity within the group. It’s about visualizing the lines or reasons for connectivity and identifying opportunities to create or leverage opportunities – making professional networking a science.

Our primary goal for today’s topic is to provide you with an introduction to professional networking, as well as the key consideration areas for entrepreneurs entering the entrepreneurial world and launching a new business.

Explore the Importance of Networking for Startup Entrepreneurs Launching a New Business
Understand & Deploy the Key Building Blocks & Consideration Areas of Professional Networking
Explore Valuable Tools for Building an Offline & Online Presence to Ensure Successful Exchanges
Explore the Basic Skill-set a New Entrepreneur Requires to Become a Game-Changing Networker

Importance of Networking for Startup Entrepreneurs Launching a New Business

Top 10 Reasons to Network

Connections

In the entrepreneurial landscape, it’s more about who you know, rather than what you know. The world of networking consists of various connections, essentially connected through an invisible line of communication through which various mutually beneficial exchanges travel.

A well-nurtured and reliable network consists of valuable connections, ultimately groups of individuals or businesses, who can contribute to both your personal/professional development and vice versa. Growing your network in size is not the ultimate goal, as maintaining a large network of connections is ultimately only as valuable as the connections within.

• Who You Know → Not What You Know
• Connected → Invisible Line of Communication
• Trading of Mutually Beneficial Exchanges
• Valuable Connections → Contribute to Growth
• Size of Network ≠ Goal → Value of Connections

Relationships

Professional networking not only assists you in generating valuable business connections but like-minded peers and friends. These individuals become a fundamental element of success for your start-up business, as they could enable mutually beneficial exchanges and provide various formats of support throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

By connecting on deep levels with these professionals, you’ll be able to find individuals experiencing the same challenges. By nurturing professional relationships, you thus gain access to a repository of invaluable resources crucial for the growth of both you and your business.

• Connect with Like-Minded Peers + Friends
• Fundamental Element → Business Success
• Mutually Beneficial Exchanges + Support
• Find Entrepreneurs → Similar Challenges
• Repository of Invaluable Resources → Growth

Opportunities

Professional networking also provides a solidified foundation for exploring and discovering various opportunities for both personal, professional, and business growth. These opportunities usually also present themselves as mutually beneficial exchanges and could include opportunities such as skill swaps, lead generation, partnerships, and so forth. Whichever opportunities you seek, ensure that they adhere to your personal, professional, and business purpose, vision, and objectives.

• Networking Sets Foundation → Exploration
• Personal + Professional + Business Growth
• Disguised as Mutually Beneficial Exchanges
• Skills Swaps + Lead Generation + Partnerships
• Adhere to Purpose + Vision + Objectives

Referrals

As mentioned earlier, one of the primary reasons to prioritize professional networking is to establish and maintain a valuable group of connections. Chances are these connections could introduce you to their connections, should you face a particular challenge only specific individuals or solutions could address – otherwise known as pre-qualified referrals. Through these referrals, you’re able to meet individuals otherwise unattainable outside of your immediate network – essentially, creating this interlinked web of first, second and third-tier connections.

• Establish a Group of Valuable Connections
• Connections → Introduce to Other Connections
• Specific Challenges → Pre-qualified Referrals
• Meet Professionals Outside Own Network
• Interlinked = 1st + 2nd + 3rd Tier Connections

Visibility

Getting noticed by other professionals, and customers/end-users is one of the primary perks of optimal professional networking. However, creating visibility, otherwise known as awareness, for you and your business doesn’t come without effort. Creating connections, nurturing relationships, and leveraging referrals aren’t enough.

You have to put yourself out there by attending various networking events and forming part of various online initiatives/campaigns. You can use these opportunities to introduce yourself, your skill-set, and your business to well-known and like-minded individuals – who might notice an opportunity to work with you, share ideas you’ve never thought of, be interested in your offering, and support the launch and growth of your business in general.

• Getting Noticed = Perks of Networking
• Creating Awareness → Requires Effort
• Participate in Offline + Online Events
• Introduce → Yourself + Skill-set + Business
• Opportunities + Ideas + Interest + Support

Confidence

Gaining visibility, however, doesn’t come without confidence. It’s about recognizing optimal opportunities and putting yourself out there to make those opportunities a reality. It requires you to perhaps attend events alone, create presentations and deliver them to new audiences, and dare to introduce yourself to game-changers in your industry – who could potentially assist in taking you and your business to the next level. Confidence, however, doesn’t come without preparation.

• Visibility = Courage + Confidence
• Recognize + Realize Growth Opportunities
• Attend Events + Deliver Presentations
• Introductions to Industry Game-Changers
• Confidence = Adequate Preparation

Influence

Apart from the tangible mutually beneficial exchanges that come with optimal networking, it also influences your personal growth and the strategic direction of your business. When creating connections and nurturing those relationships, you have to ensure they bring value to you and your business and are fostered within a positive and uplifting environment. Remember, your professional network is only as valuable as the qualified connections and relationships within – make sure they work for you and your business and aren’t redundant.

• Networking → Tangible Beneficial Exchanges
• Impact Personal Growth + Strategic Direction
• Ensure Connections Bring Optimal Value
• Foster in Positive + Uplifting Environment
• Value of Network = Qualified Connections

Mentorship

Meeting like-minded professionals is ultimately the primary objective of professional networking. Launching a new business, as a start-up entrepreneur, you’ll probably require some form of business mentorship, consulting, or even coaching to up-skill yourself and accelerate the growth of your business. Within your professional network, you must ensure to connect with other entrepreneurs and professionals with more experience in your field – who can provide you with the necessary advice and guidance to improve your business endeavors and guide your strategic direction, aligned with your overall business vision.

• Meeting Like-Minded People = Primary Goal
• Require Mentorship + Consulting + Coaching
• Up-skill Yourself + Propel Business Growth
• Connections → Provide Advice + Guidance
• Improve Business + Guide Strategic Direction

Reputation

As mentioned earlier, professional networking will assist you in gaining visibility for both your professional skill set and your new business. Once you gain the confidence to exert yourself in the dynamic world of networking, you’ll be able to build a solid reputation for yourself, your capabilities, core values, and ultimately your business. You’ll embark on efforts to positively influence what and how other professionals perceive you and your business – a crucial element of success for your personal and business growth. Good reputation management assists with building trust and credibility within professional relationships – which could result in other professionals referring various business opportunities to you, deeming you a pre-qualified referral.

• Gain Visibility for Personal Skill-set + Business
• Visibility = Foundation for Reputation
• Positively Influence Perceptions
• Reputation Management → Trust + Credibility
• Good Reputation → Become a Pre-qualified Referral

Knowledge

One of the primary mutually beneficial exchanges that take place through professional networking, is the exchange of knowledge. Other than gaining access to like-minded professionals and building your reputation, you also gain access to a repository and wealth of resources – designed by experts in your field/industry. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of gaps in their knowledge and skill-set, and ultimately turn to experts or mentors to up-skill themselves and broaden their knowledge base – keeping their personal and business growth in mind. In turn, you’re also able to share your knowledge and expertise with other entrepreneurs and professionals – contributing to your reputation as an industry enthusiast.

• Exchange of Knowledge → Primary Exchange
• Access to Repository of Resources + Information
• Successful Entrepreneurs = Aware of Gaps
• Up-skilling + Broadening of Knowledge-Base
• Share Own Skill-set / Knowledge → Reputation

These are but a few reasons why professional networking should be prioritized throughout the entrepreneurial journey. The process of building a network can be daunting, especially for aspiring entrepreneurs. However, with the right mindset, a high level of preparation, and dedication, you’ll soon create an invaluable support structure – ready to propel you and your business to success. It starts by simply recognizing its value and taking the leap to leverage that value and make it work for you and your business.

Key Building Blocks & Consideration Areas of Professional Networking

Networking is the interaction between individuals who wish to nurture professional relationships & engage in mutually beneficial exchanges.

Let’s zoom in on the word interaction. Remember, building a network is not a once-off activity. You have to go beyond simply connecting with your connections to form a valuable relationship. The more you interact and engage with them, the better your chances of forming a valuable relationship beyond the first interaction. And even better, if there’s a possibility for a mutually beneficial exchange, chances are you’ll create a professional relationship that will last you into the future.

Now, what are these mutually beneficial exchanges? When connecting and engaging, you are doing so with a particular purpose in mind – this is your networking objectives or your why. Perhaps you have something valuable to offer that individual you are connecting with and they have something to offer you in return. It could be financial, it could be a trade-off, or it could be something as simple as a service in exchange for payment.

Building Blocks of Networking

You might have quite a substantial amount of professional networking experience, or it might be an entirely new endeavor. Either way, we’re living in a hyper-competitive and hyper-connected digital world, so it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make yourself, your business, and what you’re offering to stand out. Irrespective of your networking experience, it’s essential that the fundamentals of networking be defined, deployed, and revisited throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

Remember, earlier we said that preparation is the key to networking with confidence. It requires asking and answering challenging questions, which include defining your who, why, where, how, when, and what. These 6 questions constitute the building blocks of professional networking. Let’s explore each building block carefully.

Building Block 1: Why

There are primarily two overarching networking objectives – personal development to the point of self-actualization, and/or professional development to achieve career or business success.

Personal Growth → Self-Actualization

Business Growth → Professional Success

Networking for Personal Development:

Perhaps you want to develop or improve a certain skill, and even diversify your skill-set. This skill does not necessarily have to be linked to a business or a career. It could just be an area/field that you’re passionate about or even just interested in. Perhaps you’re looking for someone who can assist you in realizing that skill set. You might also want to find a personal development coach or a mentor – essentially, someone who will assist you in building a healthy mindset, so that you can live your life optimally and/or perform optimally within your career or business.

You might also just want to expand your knowledge and connect with subject matter experts or enthusiasts who might have great industry knowledge. Perhaps you also want to connect with someone who is known for their motivational speeches.

Depending on the phase of your life, you might want to get a pulse on the job market. Many entrepreneurs keep this avenue open, especially during the business infancy or pre-MVP stages. And lastly, you might be on the lookout for specific resources such as academic articles, indexes, annual reports, and so forth.

Networking for Professional Development:

You might be on the lookout for a partner, which could include a business partner, someone with complementary skill-sets, or experience. You might even be looking for a project partner, someone with a similar business vision and mandate. It could also include a funding partner, such as a sponsor or even an investor. Depending on the stage of your business, you might also be searching for specific suppliers: (1) Suppliers that could add to the execution or even the enhancement of your offering blueprint, (2) a graphic designer that could help you design your brand identity. Essentially, any individual/entity that provides a service that could contribute to taking your business to the next level.

Again, dependent on the stage of your business, you might also be searching for human resources: These could include permanent staff, virtual assistants, and outsourced personnel – to assist you in fulfilling strategic and operational activities/needs. And very important, you might be and should be connecting with prospective customers or clients that might benefit from using your offering in the future. Connect with them and make them aware of your existence, in preparation for your launch. These individuals could also be considered as prospective respondents, during your market research and analysis activities.

You could also be looking for a business advisor or even a business coach, someone that’ll assist you in upskilling your business knowledge and running your business optimally. Remember, every decision you make and every individual or business that you connect and engage with has to fall in line with not only your personal and professional development goals but your networking objectives as well as your ultimate purpose and business vision.

Building Block 2: Who

Now that you’ve got a better understanding of the first building block, let’s take a look at who you should and can connect with. There are three possible networks that you could dive into to find these candidates, the first one being your immediate network, then your secondary network, and lastly, your tertiary network.

            Candidates → Set of Criteria

• Trustworthy → Reputation + Referrals
• Opportunity → Mutually Beneficial Exchange
• Business / Offering Stage → Growth
• Personal + Professional + Business Goals
• Reach → Purpose + Vision + Vision

Immediate Network:

These could include peers that you’ve studied with, perhaps a friend who started a business, current or previous colleagues, and even connections currently in your phone book. Just remember: Just because you’ve got easy access to these individuals, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a relationship with them will be the right fit. When exploring your immediate network, ensure that any possible exchange falls within your personal and professional development goals, your overarching networking objectives, and your higher purpose. Make sure that these candidates adhere to certain qualifying criteria. I’ll provide some guidance as to possible criteria that you could consider next.

Secondary Network:

The second network you could consider is your secondary network. These could include individuals you haven’t met yet, but an introduction or exchange could be facilitated through mutual connections, recommendations, and referrals.

Tertiary Network:

Your tertiary network consists of individuals who have no mutual connections with you, but you have a deep desire to connect and engage with them. These are the individuals you aspire to meet or work with. Now, remember, beyond the glitz, the glamour, and the fame, every person is still a human being. Leap and introduce yourself, as scary as it might be, but just do it again with a purpose.

Whichever network you choose to explore, make sure the candidates that you are considering, adhere to a certain set of criteria. You are very welcome to set your own criteria, of course. But these are examples of ones that I use to judge my network candidates by – whether I’ve connected with them or whether they wish to connect and engage with me.

• When considering a candidate, ask yourself, are they trustworthy? What are people saying about them? Do they perhaps come highly recommended for their work ethic, service, or performance? Do your homework, put on your Google goggles, and explore their online presence.

• Is there perhaps an opportunity for a mutually beneficial exchange? Is there something of value that they have that you could find useful and vice versa?

• Remember, you’re very welcome to connect with individuals because you simply like what they are posting. But when you choose to engage with them, make sure to emphasize the value proposition and do so with a purpose.

• Consider the stage your business is in and decide whether that individual can contribute to getting your business to the next stage or whether their offering is perhaps something you might only use or consider in the future.

• Make sure that the exchange falls in line with your personal and professional development goals. Don’t clutter your network. This is more quality than quantity -make sure that this exchange falls in line with your ultimate purpose and can take you to the next phase of your life or business.

Building Block 3: Where

Now that you’ve clarified your why and who, let’s explore where you can connect and engage with fellow professionals. Various platforms allow you to engage with these individuals face to face or digitally. We live in a digital age, so most connections and engagements take place online – even resulting in face-to-face conversations. However, one doesn’t necessarily have to take place before the other.

Traditional Events → Face-to-Face Platforms

Digital Platforms → Online / Mobile

Traditional Platforms:

• Alumni Events: These are great for reconnecting with peers and also meeting new people. Some of these individuals might be looking for opportunities that you are offering, and others might only run a business or perhaps offer a product or service that you might find useful.

• Conferences & Trade Shows: I don’t know of one industry or sector that doesn’t host a variety of events, every industry or sector usually has a primary platform and various smaller platforms for more intimate and specific engagements. This is a great way to connect with individuals and businesses to introduce yourself, introduce your business, and broaden your knowledge about your specific industry or sector.

• Social Events: These are also great ways of connecting with like-minded individuals on a more relaxed and informal basis. These can include events such as meetups and forums.

• Training Events: These may consist of workshops and seminars, but it’s another great way to meet individuals with a specific purpose or developmental purpose in mind.

Digital Platforms:

• Digital Networks: LinkedIn is by far the most popular networking platform to date, with over half a billion users. However, you might find that your industry or sector has a specific networking platform, built for a specific purpose. These are usually networking intranets – much like LinkedIn but intended for a very specific purpose and guided conversations. Make sure you find these platforms and make yourself known.

• Social Media Groups & Pages: Many individuals and businesses have created pages and groups for very specific reasons. It’s to connect like-minded individuals, wishing to fulfill a specific need or address a specific challenge. These platforms are usually free to enter and targeted toward a specific industry or sector – some of which are intended simply to connect entrepreneurs with other entrepreneurs.

• Networking Associations: These are usually paid networks that are membership-based and can provide you with access to multiple valuable resources, business coaches, webinars, and other networking events. These include associations such as the Entrepreneur Network and Young Presidents’ Organisation.

• Digital Events: One could also attend digital seminars or webinars, as it’s a great way to meet industry experts and enthusiasts, and subsequently engage with individuals on specific topics.

Building Block 4: How

By now, you should have a clear vision of your why, who and where networking, building blocks. Now, let’s look at the basic principles of how to connect and engage with professionals in your network.

Engaging → Professionals

Do Your Homework → Research + Shortlist
When engaging with a professional, make sure that you know their business: What are they offering? What have they been up to? What are they looking for? Before you go to an event, check the speaker or attendee list, and see whether there is someone you have to meet. Make a point of getting to know them on paper, it will impress them.

Be Over Prepared → Business + Industry
When engaging with an individual, whether face-to-face or digitally, make sure you can answer difficult questions – not only about yourself but about your business or your industry. Make sure you have the necessary collateral to support your proposal for an exchange or perhaps bring your business partner along for moral support. Being prepared will also give you the necessary confidence.

Make it Personal = Customized Messages
We live in a hyper-connected world, that is over-saturated with cold approaches and mass messages. So, when reaching out to a person, make sure you make it personal – address them by name and construct your message or introduction, based on something you’ve discovered about them.

Keep it Professional → Social Etiquette
This goes without saying. Networking etiquette includes how you approach an individual, what you say and how you say it. Don’t ask someone you’ve never met to go out for a drink and have a chat if you don’t know how they’ll react to such an informal request. You might embarrass yourself and possibly tarnish the possibility of a valuable relationship. Remember, the first contact sets the tone.

Communicate Clearly → Preparation + Skills
Trust me, if you are prepared, that sets the foundation for the conversation, but stick to the point and think about the outcome. Communicating clearly, especially in person, is something many people struggle with. It has to do with confidence. It’s certainly easier to chat with someone in written form or perhaps on a digital platform. However, if you want to create meaningful conversations and take the professional relationship to the next level, you have to face them.

Stay Open-Minded → New Opportunities
Remember, when you’ve chosen to engage with a certain individual, you’re doing it with a specific purpose in mind, which could result in the exchange you were looking for. However, in the end, you’re looking for a mutually beneficial exchange. Be open to suggestions and opinions. Also, be open-minded to working with individuals you didn’t intend on working with – listen to what they have to say and take the necessary steps to confirm whether their vision aligns with yours.

Building Block 5: When

Immediately & Continuously

• Networking ≠ Once-Off Activity
• Personal + Business Growth → Revisit BB
• Suited to Objectives + Challenges

When should you start networking? I’d say as soon as possible and as often as possible. Remember, building and growing a valuable network certainly isn’t a one-off activity. As you grow, and your business transforms, you’ll find the need to connect with a diverse set of professionals to address new challenges faced. You’ll thus revisit these building blocks along the entrepreneurial journey and transform them, suited to your current situation and new networking objectives. Once you’ve built your confidence, you’ll be networking like a professional.

Building Block 6: What

The last building block of professional networking includes your what – essentially, the collateral and evidence you’ve acquired and prepared to promote yourself and your business. This consists of basic/traditional collateral and digital collateral – elements that will require some preparation but will give you the confidence to network like a professional.

Basic Collateral → Traditional / Print Media

Digital Collateral → Online / Mobile

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Business Cards: Despite the advances in technology, the business card is the most widely used piece of collateral, globally. Successful entrepreneurs are constantly on the go – attending various networking events, ready to share their information with qualified candidates.
Portfolios/Catalogs: Depending on the nature of your business and the composition of your offering, you might want to consider creating a creative portfolio. This could include your resumé/CV, your experience, and key projects, as well as your entrepreneurial ventures. When meeting qualified candidates, sharing your portfolio could assist them in determining whether working with you is a good fit.
Business Explainers: Explainers, whichever format you wish to present them in, contain valuable information about you and your business. These explainers serve as elevator pitches for your business – with the aim of enticing networking candidates to explore your business further. These could include brochures, infographics, corporate folders, and so forth.
These are just a few examples of collateral that could assist you in building your network. Of course, dependent on the relationship, your collateral could include more specific documentation such as proposals, business plans, sponsorship decks, and so forth. All these examples could be presented in either a printed/traditional and/or digital format – dependent on the conversations’ context.

Irrespective, keep the following tips in mind when designing and distributing your collateral:

• Relationship → Customized Collateral
• Presented → Traditional + Digital Format
• Collateral = Thoroughly Edited + Error–Free
• Collateral = Well-Designed + Brand Identity
• Copywriter / Editor + Graphic Designer

• Make sure your collateral is edited to the point of being error-free. Collateral is a key piece of the puzzle – the part you and your business and other professionals keep when the conversation with you comes to an end. Make sure that you share, and that the design and content are of the utmost quality.

• Make sure your collateral is well-designed and represents your brand identity. The first thing people notice, consciously or subconsciously, is formatting, use of color, and spacing – not the content at first. Catch their eye!

• Another great platform for designing collateral is Canva. You can design everything from business cards to business plans.

Building a Digital Personal & Business Profile to Support Searching & Networking

businessman, consulting, business-2606506.jpg

Business & Personal Profile

Apart from preparing and distributing your personal and business-related collateral, the primary underlying element that should always be available, is your digital profile, for both yourself and your business. These digital profiles include the following: Your website, social media pages, and LinkedIn profile. Let’s briefly look at each one.

Websites

Your website serves as the primary hub of information about yourself and/or your business. Dependent on the nature of your business, you could create a website displaying your portfolio of work, or one that promotes the products/services provided by your business. Irrespective, when connecting with professionals on whichever platform, chances are they’ll google you to find out more about your business. Your collateral will also serve as the platform that promotes your website address and hopefully entices them to explore your business further.

• Fully Fledged Website → Not Always Possible
• Launch a Landing Page = Starting Point
• Links to Social Media Pages + Email Sign-Up
• Register Domain → Strong Brand Identity
• Grow Social Media Following + Email-Base

A few tips regarding your website:

It might not be possible to launch a fully-fledged and comprehensive website from the onset, but you should consider at least launching a landing page – one that provides links to your social media pages, and perhaps a section for email collection, at the very least.
Whether for you personally or your business, I would highly recommend registering a domain with your preferred service provider. This not only contributes to your brand identity but provides individuals searching for your business with a perception of professionalism. This also enables you to create domain-based email addresses, further supporting your brand identity.
I would also recommend linking your social media platforms and perhaps a section for email collection on your initial website. This will enable you to increase your following and email database, simultaneously.

Social Media

I would also recommend preparing your personal and/or business-related social media pages, before networking. This will further legitimize you/your business, enabling individuals to start the interaction with your business beyond the initial conversation.

• Register Identical @ Handles → @Business.com
• Research + Consistency → Brand Identity
• Linking Website Domain = Professional
• Content Creation → Quality + Consistency
• Key Messages + Stories / Narratives

A few tips regarding your social media pages:

I would highly recommend registering your social media pages with the same/similar social handles. This will ease the search for professionals searching for your pages and contributes to consistency in the context of your brand identity.
I would also recommend linking your website domain throughout, to further legitimize your business and push individuals to your website – where they could explore your business further.
Content is also key – the quality and consistency thereof. Ensure your “about us” sections, ultimately serving as your non-verbal elevator pitch, need to be to the point and take the form of a story/ narrative. Also, ensure that your posts are creative and consistent – when visiting your social media pages, professionals don’t want to visit an empty/blank page. Create key messages and use the platform to start generating followers.
To assist you in this regard, I highly recommend enrolling in website design & marketing courses. This will assist you in creating the optimal digital presence for you and your business.

LinkedIn

Crafting your personal and business profile on LinkedIn will certainly assist you with your networking endeavors. It is considered the largest digital networking platform globally and provides you with access to pre-qualified professionals and resources. Please check your additional resources, for guidance as to how to set up and optimize both your personal profile and business page on LinkedIn.

Cool Facts!

LinkedIn currently has over 610 million members.
The network has 303 million active monthly users, 40% of which visit the site daily.
90 million senior-level influencers and 63 million decision-makers use LinkedIn.
92% of Fortune 500 companies use LinkedIn.
46% of the social media traffic to B2B company sites is from LinkedIn.
97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn as a content distribution channel.
Only 3 million LinkedIn users share content every week.
In 2016, LinkedIn users published 130,000 posts monthly.
LinkedIn is responsible for 80% of B2B leads from social media.

Optimal Skill-set New Entrepreneurs Require to Network with Confidence

Skill-set for Networking

Apart from having substantial collateral and optimal profiles, good networking is a learned skill. Let’s briefly take a look at some of the key skills required to master the art and science of networking. If you struggle with approaching other business professionals and finding the right things to say, it may be because you don’t yet know how to network. Effective networking requires particular skills, and most people aren’t born knowing the best ways to build meaningful connections with other entrepreneurs. If you master these skills, you’ll be able to leverage networking for what it is – a powerful tool that can open up future opportunities and help build your business.

Networking isn’t intuitive. After all, how many times have you received blanket LinkedIn connection requests with generic messages or no messages at all? Or maybe you’ve been approached by people at events who pitched their services right away? Networking done poorly is ineffective and off-putting, and you’ve probably encountered many people who don’t know how to do it right.

Here are 5 skills to master before you commence your networking endeavors:

Adequate Planning: Take the time to perfect your elevator pitch and always carry business cards, even when you’re just running errands. The more prepared you are, the easier and smoother networking will be.

Active Listening: Good listening skills can help you to make valuable connections, but this can be difficult, especially when you’re networking in busy, loud places. Work on being a good, active listener by maintaining eye contact, paying attention, and responding with insightful, relevant questions.

Strategic Questioning: Learning to ask good questions takes time, but it’s a valuable skill for networking. I try to practice it regularly. It can be fun because everyone enjoys the conversation more. Use active listening skills to ask questions that build on what the other person is saying. This demonstrates you’re genuinely interested in their ideas. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your questions and try to move past the standard questions that people probably hear regularly.

People-Focused: It’s all too tempting to talk about ourselves – especially if we’re passionate about a subject. However, if you reach out to connect with someone, you need to make the conversation about them. It’s fine to talk a bit about yourself, but then turn the conversation focus back to the other person – and don’t try to sell anything during your first conversation. Trust me, if they like you and are interested in what you have to offer, sales will take care of themselves.

Adding Value: This is sometimes the most difficult skill to master. Think about ways you can offer value to others through your knowledge, skills, or even through your connections. Understanding the value you offer can help you establish mutually beneficial relationships.

Every successful entrepreneur once learned how to network. Few entrepreneurs are born knowing how to network. Good networking is a learned skill, and all entrepreneurs have made mistakes with their networking at some point. More important, though, is that they’ve learned from their mistakes, refined their techniques, and mastered the art of networking. But as an entrepreneur, it’s also vital to work on your personal and social network.

As an entrepreneur, it is extremely important to have a supportive environment at home amongst your peers and even your friends. Trust me, sometimes imposter syndrome creeps in when you least expect it, and you can’t exactly have venting sessions with professionals unless you are paying them to listen to you. But remember, you deserve to achieve experience, learn, and become absolutely everything you ever dreamed of. And most new entrepreneurs want to be “Chief Everything Officers”. Trust me, you cannot reach your dream alone. Make sure that you are supported.