Effective networking isn’t about sales­–it’s about building mutually beneficial relationships.

If you avoid networking, you’re hurting your business. Many people have the wrong idea about networking; they think it’s about sales. However, networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships. Here are tips on how to build a network that will help support your business.

Ask how you can help others. When you meet someone new, ask:

• Is there someone you can connect them with to help solve a problem of theirs?
• What kind of referrals do they need?
• Can you provide them with a testimonial?

Don’t just attend professional meetings, participate! Arrive a few minutes early and find out who runs the meeting. Then ask if you can help in any way. Just like that, you’ve made a connection. Best of all, the person running the meeting surely knows many others she or he can introduce you to.

Show your network love all the time­. Some folks only network when business is down or they need a new job. The best time to network is always now. It’s much easier to build a business relationship when you’re not operating from a position of neediness.

Have a plan for every contact you meet. Networking without follow-up is like preparing a cake mix and never putting it in the oven. You’ve got to give new business relationships warmth and time to turn into something good. An email, phone call or text message are good ways to let someone know you enjoyed meeting them. To put the icing on your cake, share something of you know will be of value to your new contact—a link to an article that’s pertinent to them, a white paper or even an introduction.

We challenge you to try out just one of these tips and see how it benefits your business and professional growth.

Building relationships to help you succeed is what our commercial loan officers do best. Call 800-991-2221. We’re here to help you grow your business!

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