The dos and don’ts of business networking

Discover our top tips for networking

Is business networking that super-annoying I-know-I-should-be-doing-it-but-I-really-don’t-know-where-to-start task?

Well, you needn’t worry any longer, as we have put together a list of networking dos and don’ts so you can head to any networking event with confidence, armed with our top tips for networking!

Networking is such a valuable tool. Whether you choose to meet virtually or in person, the purpose is the same, and that’s to build connections and generate positive outcomes for your business. You can craft those all-important business relationships, which will in turn develop into leads and referrals, helping you to grow your business.

Here at DARWIN.vip, we have a teeny tiny bit of experience when it comes to networking… Michael Thomas, our founder, has run his own marketing consultancy since 2011. Networking has been – and continues to be – one of the best ways he generates business for his consultancy firm.

Over the years, he’s provided advice on how others can do the same for their businesses. This led to him building the DARWIN.vip Academy, helping other small business owners, franchises and freelancers to do the same for themselves.

And that’s exactly why we’ve written this blog article, so we can share our top tips for networking with you, so you can achieve the same!

What makes networking such an important tool?

If you want to grow your business, and your clients tend to be other businesses, networking is a great way of generating work that you surely don’t want to miss out on.

With the constant bombardment of marketing, sales messages and ads in this day and age, it can be hard for anyone to stand out. That’s what makes business networking so effective! It cuts out the middlemen by allowing you to build personal relationships directly with the people who you could work with in the future, people who’ll help you spread the word about your business.

Sell, sell, sell

Or, rather not. Selling is not a good technique when it comes to business networking, coming across as rather distasteful and disingenuous. People don’t like being sold to – it’s all about building relationships! And yes, that will mean that you have to be patient as these relationships take time to build, but they can’t be rushed.

Be yourself!

It can be natural for some people to put on a face when it comes to business networking, but one of our top tips for networking is to be yourself! Don’t act any differently to how you would do normally.

We completely understand why people can be tempted to fit that highly corporate, ultra-professional persona, but if that’s not you then it won’t come across as authentic. And authenticity is key.

You have to be yourself if you want to build real relationships with fellow networkers. By being genuine, you’re more likely to attract clients who are a good fit for you and your business, simply because they like you. 

Don't strike anyone off

It’s important to be open to everyone when you’re at a networking event. Try to ignore first impressions, too, as if you strike someone off your radar, you could be setting yourself up to lose a lot of business in the future.

We all have ways of working things out and eliminating information that’s irrelevant to us – it’s human nature. Although it can be beneficial to us in many ways, it can also work against you in business networking. 

Instead, get to know as many people as you can! Even if it goes against your better judgement. You never know who they might know – and, by getting to know them well, they could become one of your great advocates! Or dare we say it, a good friend.