The benefits of networking in business development are undeniable. Read some of the reasons why you should start networking now!
Everyone agrees that networking comes with a lot of benefits. And, especially as business developers, we all know how valuable it is to build strong professional connections.
But there are different ways to network, as well as different reasons. After all, people pursue it with different objectives.
We collected some tips to help you gain all the possible benefits of networking.
Join a community!
Most likely, you have experienced different forms of connecting with others. Starting from professional social networks, to more regular networking events!
Of course, social media – especially Linkedin – represent a great way to connect with your target. Connecting on a global scale can open you many possibilities. Besides, you can get to know a lot about your connections, just by checking their profiles.
However, if you only stick to the online world, you’re gonna miss out a lot of benefits of networking.
To give you an example, I will tell you about a great and inspirational get-together for business people that I attended many times.
During my time at HousingAnywhere, I was regularly attending the weekly events organized by Venture Café. It is a community, based on innovators, which puts incredible effort in connecting locals, nationals and internationals.
Every week hundreds of participants share their common interests and innovative ideas. And all this, for free, every Thursday.
Next to networking opportunities, what I like in this type of gatherings in the possibility to learn. They usually host many educational sessions which can really help you grow personally and professionally. It is worth to listen to some speeches and use the chance to have a chat with speakers!
This can bring you valuable insights into new sectors, enriches your knowledge and, once again, foster contacts to influencers, business developers or other like-minded innovators.
Whether you want to approach people for socializing only or with the intention to have a chat about business ideas, the doors are open.
🤝 Join our community and start building your network!
Use networking to find new job opportunities
Among the benefits of networking, recruitment is definitely one of the most important! Imagine you are looking for a job as a business developer! You can find countless online job platforms, but what is missing in this scenario? The personal touch!
This is one main reason why you should definitely attend a networking event! It serves as a great opportunity to get in contact with open-minded people in a comfortable atmosphere.
Those, face-to-face chats outside the usual working environment can often make a slight but positive difference. You might get to know exactly the right person that you were looking for!
If you are not in a job hunt yourself, but rather in a search for talented business developers, networking events are definitely the best way to get going with it!
Business developers are usually sociable people and are interested in those networking gatherings. Thus, your chances are good that you will get in contact with motivated people. The direct contact can make it also easier for you to assess if a potential candidate fits in your team.
Next to the finding a job or a new employee, , these meetings are a great venue for exchanging your ideas as a business developer with other peers. You can get in touch with people from your field and share experiences!.
It is not unlikely that some great face-to-face conversations at networking events lead to collaborations!
Compare the top 10 networking skills courses here
Think out of the box!
What is the pitfall if your mind and ideas are stuck within your familiar office walls? At some point, the office environment might freeze space for creative talks.
Sometimes there is even no time available for allowing some innovative breaks during tight work schedules. Moreover, it can happen that the internal view is rather restricted as potentially valuable ideas from people outside of work are not regarded!
Isolation is obviously not the right path to choose. Some fresh ideas from externals can help to think out of the box!
And this is yet another reason why networking events are a great environment to help you find inspiration and acquire new ideas!
Obviously, there are ways of getting in contact with people on online platforms, which can also be beneficial. However, it doesn’t always lead to constructive communication.
Identifying valuable contacts will always be easier with direct face-to-face interactions!
Besides, networking is a way to give yourself a face as a business developer. If you take advantage of events, it can help you to develop more valuable, lasting connections and most importantly extend your professional network!
How I benefited and how you can too!
If you’re not convinced yet about the benefits of networking, just know that I am attending networking events at least once per week.
This allows me to meet new like-minded people in a friendly environment. Moreover, it helped to get regular social contact with some frequent attendants, and I profited from getting in touch with people from diverse backgrounds.
On a professional level, I received some interesting insights into different businesses, and foster valuable contacts where I am convinced to profit from, for future projects.
I shared an idea about an interesting gathering of innovators and kept you busy with thinking about all the beneficial sides of networking. Now it is your chance to fully utilize the potential of building up a professional network and strive for valuable and meaningful connections with like-minded and interesting people.
Keep reading our articles to find more insights and consistently improve your day to day job.
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