Not Getting Results With NETWORKING?

Why do YOU professionally network?

Why do YOU attend business networking functions?

 Do you really know why or thought about why you network, or do you just do it because:

• It is required for your job
• Your boss has made it clear that you really should go
• You are hoping you will meet your next prospect
• You need a job
• You are single and ready to mingle ( I hope this is NOT the case)
• Networking is something you heard you should do to market your own business

 When you are clear about why you are networking, you can expect to:

1. Enjoy it. Meeting new people, even if you are an introvert like I can sometimes be, can be a very rewarding experience. I have met a lot of wonderful people that still continue to enrich my personal and professional life.
2. Be more relaxed. You can limit your anxiety about meeting a room full of strangers. Most of our anxiety comes from the unknown - not knowing what to expect, who we are going to meet, and what we are going to say, etc. When we know our objective, we can prepare and take comfort in knowing our purpose.
3. Get results. When you know your purpose and have goals, you can measure your progress to get quicker results.

Maybe your goals are to meet a certain number of people you can market your product/services to, meet a job connection, or practice your 30-second introduction. If you don’t feel networking has been an effective strategy and have not put much thought into how it could work for you, stay tuned next week to explore some potential networking objectives and measurable to increase your results!