Think networking is all about the handshake and in-person rapport? Online networking has many tangible benefits and that’s why 49% of businesspeople polled are planning more virtual networking in the future. Here, twenty-two professionals shared their insights and the benefits of online networking to their professional development and business. Online Networking Reduces Travel and Expands Reach One of the most obvious benefits to virtual networking is the elimination of travel time and the extension of who you can reach from a geographical perspective. As Damian Birkel, Founder & ED of JobSearching.org said, “Zoom has made ‘non in-person’ meetings acceptable and
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Survey Shows Online Networking Events to Thrive Post-COVID
I recently conducted a survey to find out if online networking would go away once COVID receded. Instead, it showed that nearly 50% of businesspeople intend to reduce their in-person networking compared to pre-COVID in favor of online networking events. Ninety-one entrepreneurs, small business owners and professionals were asked to share their proportion of face-to-face versus online or virtual networking pre-COVID. Then they were asked what they intend to do post-COVID. Nearly one-third, 31.9%, will be decreasing their in person networking in favor of attending online networking events by a moderate amount. 17.6% will be decreasing their in person networking
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How to Balance The Power in Networking
You’re at a networking event and you meet someone who could be a great connection for you. They have resources or information you need and you know you can be helpful to them. There seems to be a mutual feeling, so you get their card and send a well-written follow up email the next day. And then… Nothing. No response. So you resend. Then you leave a voicemail. No reply. No email, no call, nothing. Do you resend the message again? Do you call them? Isn’t one outreach enough? You don’t want to bug them. Shouldn’t they be getting back
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These Conversation Starters are Hurting Your Networking
There are tons of websites out there that list hundreds of conversation starters (most of them are so full of ads you can’t find the actual conversation pieces). So there’s no lack of advice on WHAT to say. But what about what NOT to say? Especially in business networking. Sure, you might be cheeky enough to repurpose and get away with using the old classic “Come here often?” especially if they are wearing their 50 Year Member pin. Rather than give you a huge list of what NOT to say, here are three categories of questions to avoid …
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What to Do When Your Chamber Networking Events Stink
“You do what? Oh, you need to talk to my chamber of commerce. Their networking events suck!” This came from a new acquaintance in an online group who had just found out what I do. While I appreciated the vote of confidence, I also knew two things: First, introducing me as someone who was going to “fix their sucky chamber events” wasn’t going to be terribly endearing. Second, the responsibility for “bad chamber networking events” (or any group’s event) doesn’t always fall completely on the organizer “Oh sure, Beth, that’s what you say because you were the organizer of so
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Why You Should Leverage Networking as a Marketing Strategy
Are you thinking about networking as part of your marketing strategy? Successful networkers operate from that perspective whether they’re aware of it or not. I was that way. I started out as a marketer and I’ve spent 28 years working for myself or others in a range of marketing capacities from sales to events to digital marketing and SEO. Networking was one of the tools in my marketing strategy. It was only with the development of my Networking on Purpose Master Class that I realized I wasn’t explicitly teaching other people to put together their networking strategy from that perspective.
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Why I Disagree with “Don’t Be the Smartest Person in the Room”
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room!” Some very smart people have said this. It’s attributed to everyone from Confucius to Jack Welch … who were probably in a room with a bunch of even smarter people. We all love this quote. Every time someone posts it on social media it gets hundreds or thousands of likes and shares. Maybe because it sounds counter intuitive but also seems obvious once you hear it. It’s brilliant. It’s a great way to build your business. It’s a way to level up at everything. It’s a strategy
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Introverts: Study Says You Actually WILL Enjoy Networking (& Look Good Doing It)
I’ve been telling my introverted friends this for years! “Come to this networking event,” I’ll say, “I just know you’ll have fun! I promise!” It was a promise I could make – I thought – because I was quite often in charge of the networking event and I knew how to make people more comfortable. Most of the time, I was right. For example, after a long “campaign,” I talked a very introverted friend who runs a retail store into attending her first mixer and afterwards she said, “That was not completely terrible.” That was a win in my
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Forgot Your Business Cards? Here’s Why It’s Not a Big Deal
Forgot your business cards the last time you went to a networking event? Don’t feel bad. Personally, I’ve forgotten to go networking with business cards more than once. I know some of you are asking “Do people still use business cards?!” They do at most of the networking events I’m familiar with, but the question is “Do you NEED business cards?” And if you do, what do you do when you forget them or run out. First, don’t panic. I can only think of two reasons you should even care if you have them. Are you surprised to hear that
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A Networking Hack to Add 900 New Connections … Without Attending a Single Networking Event
Tired of attending networking events? Or just maxed out right now? Here’s one of my favorite networking hacks that could add hundreds of connections to your network … without attending a single networking event! This networking strategy is using one of my favorite life hacks where you bring together a group of people who have the same purpose. Then you meet regularly to provide each other with encouragement and feedback and to provide accountability. It’s called a “mastermind” and you’ve seen or participated in examples of this yourself, even though you don’t know it! Forms of masterminding include: Boot camps
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