Effective networking can help you find new business prospects.

 

If they wish to build new business ties, all successful business people must be good at networking. 

If you've ever attended a conference, seminar, or other form of business event, you've undoubtedly met a number of folks who can 'work a room.' In other words, they appear to be able to simply introduce themselves and begin up a discussion with complete strangers, which can lead to future commercial chances for them. 

However, some people may be surprised to learn that networking does not come naturally to many people and that mastering it takes a lot of practice. 

When it comes to business networking, here are some things to consider.

1. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER 

Although not everyone can dress to impress as well as others, we should have developed an image of how we want to be viewed as businesspeople. In other words, we all have an image about ourselves and how that picture is seen by others, thus it's critical to understand and maximize our physical qualities and clothes while meeting other business people for the first time.

2. MAKE THE FIRST STEP 

Business conferences may just last a day or two, but there will be a lot packed into those few days, so you can't afford to sit around and wait for others to strike up a conversation with you if you want to build new business partnerships. In other words, you will frequently be the one to make the first move.

Observing what is happening on around you is one method to strike up a conversation with a stranger. You could, for example, introduce yourself by making a remark on a prior speaker. "How did you react to his speech?" Is a wonderful line to use. You've started a conversation with someone without even having to say hello. They will undoubtedly respond, and there you have it. 

Remember that networking is essentially about selling yourself, which you can't do unless you tell people about yourself.

3. PREPARATION AND RESEARCH 

There may be some highly powerful guest speakers at conferences and events. In this case, it is simple to do some research on them and their companies prior to the event so that, if they stay around after the conference to meet people, you will already know something about them, which is a nice approach to start a conversation.

What you should remember is that, even with high-powered people, you will have an advantage because you can often learn a lot about them. However, they will likely have no idea about you, so they may be even more nervous than you, even if they have taught themselves not to show it. Make sure you have enough business cards to take with you, but don't go overboard and hand them out to everyone.

4. SETTING A GOAL FOR YOURSELF 

Many great 'networkers' will tell you that setting a particular goal before attending a conference or event helps them focus on what they want to accomplish at the event. As a result, it's a good idea to set some goals before the event so that you don't get completely distracted by what's going on on stage, as the'meet and greet' portion of any business event is frequently even more significant than any keynote addresses or speeches.

For example, before you leave, tell yourself, "Today, I'm going to make 5 new contacts who will help me find a new distributor." It will help you stay focused and confident in your abilities to network once you arrive if you tell yourself that. 

So, while you may be really skilled and brilliant in your field, conferences and events are all about selling yourself, and the more times you do it, the better you will get. 

It's also true that it's not always about who you know, but rather what you know.