Our Thoughts
Effective Networking Tips- Part 3
Oct 31, 2016
I have a dream that one day networking will create an interconnected marketplace where top talent, recruiters, and companies no longer have a hard time finding one another.
Dear Business Owners,
This one is for you. Kiss your negative feelings about networking good bye. There is no place for them in business. A strong brand image, a larger audience and customer base, multi-market business opportunities, and a reputation to defy the odds are probably what you daydream about. I know of one word that will lead you there and fulfill my dream, so, let’s help each other. Let’s connect. Let’s network.
The word that will bring you the most benefit and yield the greatest return is networking. That is simply but actively connecting or interacting with others with the goal of exchanging contact information and, potentially, furthering or expanding your career opportunities.
While we should all be building our own personal networks, businesses have the advantage of employees. Businesses can and should absolutely rely on their employees’ to market their company brand, enhance brand reputation, and build a stronger larger network. You might be thinking, well yes of course, I am doing this. Use the resources available to you, right? If this is your perspective, that is fantastic. Step 1 is complete, but Step 2 is where I might lose you. Step 2 is encourage your employees to develop their own personal brand, apart from representing the company.
Wait, a minute. Why would I want all of my employees to be building unique personal brands, marketing themselves to other potential employers, representing an image that is not the company’s?
Enlisting clones for employees may seem to paint the strongest brand image on paper, but in reality this could not be more detrimental to your business’s success. By discouraging personal branding within your company– besides the socially starved and unsatisfied employees you may end up with—you will have a hard time attracting new top talent, and most importantly, you will be missing out on the networks or potential networks of each of your employees. Use the resources available to you, right? People are everything. Do not overlook the in- house networks waiting to be tapped into. Encourage your employees to build their personal brands, teach them the importance of networking, and train them how to positively represent the company through their own personal brand.
Now that you have decided to utilize your employees for networking, you have increased your audience and you will gain new customers—all without leaving the office. It is time to step out into the social networking world. Attending events such as recruiting events, conferences, office happy hours, even community festivals or galas are part of networking. Last weekend on the wine trail could have been networking if you left your business card for the waitress. Simple acts that get your business seen or heard are considered networking. It is important to remember that it does not always require money and strategic planning to increase your audience and gain customers, especially if you and your employees have established your personal brands. Increasing your audience through the web of people you have previously connected with—your network—yields a more relevant audience filled with other professionals, influential people, people with established networks, and referrals that are pre-determined to already be interested in your services. Your sales pitch has already been covered by the presence of your now strong company brand and the sale is ready for closing.
The opportunities do not end there. Through networking you, as a business owner, also have the chance to create partnerships and joint ventures. By connecting with other industry (and out of industry) professionals, new business endeavors are endless as long as you are open for creativity and tapping into new markets. I am sure your entrepreneurial spirit is now bouncing with big ideas. Perhaps you are dreaming of multi-market projects reaching multi-market audiences or maybe you are thinking more along the lines of creating a support system of different businesses who can come together, help each other out, market each other, and collaborate on big ideas. Wherever your heart and mind lie, networking is the key to your bid ideas.
I think by now you are convinced that my one word should be your new game plan, and you will never think a negative thought about it again. If not, just remember if you are ever in need of damage control or establishing your knowledge and reliability in your industry, well, networking can help you with that too. Building a reputation that can withstand the worst of reviews is by no means an easy, overnight task. My advice is to build rapport with as many connections as possible to overcome the one bad connection, which is inevitably apart of every business no matter what industry you are in.
Networking allows you to stay relevant in your industry and active in other industries. The simple connection of people enables you to:
* Build a cohesive brand image
* Attract top talent
* Increase the size and quality of your audience
* Have an effortless sales pitch while landing sales opportunities
* Tap into new markets and business opportunities
* Build a support system
* Establish an indelible reputation
By networking now you are preparing for later.
With great regard and big aspirations,
The avid job seeker/consumer/ potential customer/ potential connection
Remember at HireLevel we are always aiming higher. For more information about developing your personal brand in order to train your employees, building partnerships, or attracting top talent visit www.HireLevel.com.
