Here’s a kick up the backside from business coach Heather Wilkinson from Striding Out, reminding us of the fantastic opportunities networking can give you and your business – on the double girls!
If your diary isn't full, then you know you're not networking enough! Everyday our life changes as a result of the new people we meet! Networking is the key ingredient to any entrepreneur's journey, which makes it fun, fluid, exciting and innovative.
Whether we are online, the phone, at an event or meeting, we will make a new contact and our life will change as a result! There are no two ways around it, networking is essential to business success.
The rewards are not always instant and for some people this puts them off, but it is about managing expectations. In time, networking will pay off, it is about building relationships, this is more than a five minute chat, it is about a conversation, repeated meetings or recommendations that create rewards.
In the first week of January, I had five phone calls from people wanting me to do work for them! It was fantastic, and it proved the value of networking. How much easier would life be if people came to you to do business!
At Striding Out, our members network in a range of different ways:
Andrew White is founder of www.ydna-extreme.co.uk a surf and skate store in Bournemouth. He uses MySpace to search for and connect with people who live in the local area and who are interested in surfing and skating! What a great marketing tool... he now has over 2000 people in his MySpace network.
Bethanie Lunn, founder of www.hugepromotions.co.uk is a Fashion PR expert. She actively networks with a range of support organisations who work with budding fashion designers, to lecture, speak and write on Fashion PR, including Fashion Enter, London College of Fashion, Fashion Capital, In2Fashion Network etc. These relationships boost her referrals and recommendations from clients.
Nicola Dillon and James Pascall, are co-founders of www.kinked.co.uk, a creative branding consultancy. Nicola and James actively attend a whole range of networking events across London to meet potential new clients. Through a Striding Out event, they met www.bettyandbird.com and as a result designed their brand logo. During the first year of business, face to face networking has been essential and they are now seeing the result through word of mouth recommendations.
As you can see, it's worth the time and effort, and there are lots of ways to do it. If your diary isn't full, then you are not networking enough! So with my Business Coach hat on, I am going to set you a challenge. I would like you to make at least one new connection a day! Whether it's by email, phone or at an event, make sure you talk to somebody new who is relevent to your business.
Targeted networking is the best approach, so make sure you do your home work first... research attendee lists, websites, magazines to find potential suppliers, clients or partners. Introduce yourself and your business interests, and explore the opportunities for working together! If you do this, you'll meet over 28 new potential clients a month. Remember, the reward may not come straight away but it will payoff at some point further down the line... make a mental note. Good luck!
Heather Wilkinson is a business coach and founder of www.stridingout.co.uk
