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Strengthen Your Network In 4 Easy Steps

May 13, 2016 by Caleb Hennington Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like you don’t know enough people? That’s a weird question (especially me) because I tend to think that the fewer people I know and have to interact with, the better. Not because I’m antisocial or rude, but because I find that having a small group of friends and acquaintances makes it easier to balance my social life, rather than juggle interactions between a large group of people.

But that’s not always the best practice in the business world. You kind of need to be social, meet new people and grow your network. It’s called networking, and even though I hate that word with the fury of a thousand suns (along with many, many other marketing terms) it’s a necessary part of having a successful business.

So how do you strengthen your network, making new connections along the way that will get your more business, more profit, and more opportunities in the future? It all starts with the amount of effort you want to put into it.

Start Local

If you want to build your network, start at the very basic level: the people around you. If you don’t have a good connection with the businesses around you, it’s going to be a long and difficult climb to branch out into other areas of the world in building your network. There are almost 30 million small businesses around America, accounting for 54% of all U.S. sales. That’s a huge market that’s waiting to be tapped into! Join your local community outreach programs, get involved in the Chamber of Commerce and local government meetings, and grow your network locally!

Branch Out

Once you’ve got your local level covered, start branching out and searching for networking opportunities outside of your area. It’s easy to build relationships on the local level because those businesses are ones that you see every day. Heck, you might even be distant cousins with another shop owner in your town! The best way to branch out is to use the Internet, because, duh, the Internet is a part of everything we do now. Get active in some online communities, such as chat rooms, Facebook groups, and things like that for entrepreneurs and new business owners. When you start to build your network outside of your local community, you’ll notice more and more opportunities open up for you. You’ll build up partnerships, get more sales, and maybe even learn a few things from someone else along the way.

Have A Strong Social Media Presence

Along with the Internet, social media is a big part of connecting with people in a way that was never possible before the invention of Facebook, or its precursor, MySpace. Social media is a great way to connect with other business owners who are probably in the same boat as you are a.k.a. those who are looking to build up their network as well. Have a connection on Facebook who’s an expert in SEO strategy and content marketing? Send them a Facebook message and see if they can help out! It never hurts to reach out to your new business friends on Facebook and see what their input is.

Attend Conferences/Conventions When Possible

But you can’t do everything online only, right? (well, you can, but that’s not a very happy life to live). The best way to meet new people and strengthen your network is to attend conferences where you’ll be seeing new people everywhere you turn. At many of these marketing and small business conventions, businesses will set up booths to show off what they have to offer. This is a prime time to get contact information and make strong connections. Sometimes, they’ll even have networking parties where you attend a gathering with many other business owners in a casual environment. Attending one of these parties helps make connections by easing the tension. I always feel like forced interactions are always awkward, and never truly succeed in making good impressions and lasting relationships.

Networking can be hard, but with all the new ways to connect out there these days, it doesn’t have to be impossible. Make good connections, earn more business, and help your business succeed with your sweet new networking skills!

Networking for the Socially Awkward

April 10, 2015 by Caleb Hennington Leave a Comment

Networking can be very intimidating for many business owners. Some people are naturally outgoing, personable, and do great with small talk. Others (myself included) dread the idea of having to talk to a person that they have no common experiences with, and have no idea how to make conversation with them.

Luckily, in this new era of tech advancements and varied forms of communication, there are some great ways for those who are socially awkward to network just as well as those who are socially confident.

Social Media Master

A lot of times, people who are socially awkward feel much more comfortable communicating with someone via the Internet rather than in person. Whether it be through email, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, or LinkedIn, chatting and making connections with someone through social media is a much more comfortable setting.

You can gather your thoughts on what you want to say, rather than being put on the spot; send helpful pictures, files, and videos that you may want to share; and meet far more people than you could ever meet in real life.

You can even join an online group that shares the same interests as you. Facebook makes joining group very easy and efficient, and any topic that you’re interested in creating a business around is available in an online group. You’ll find ideas in these groups that you might never think of on your own.

In-Person Meetings

But that’s not to say in-person meetings aren’t important. Eventually, you’re still going to have to meet a client or go to a networking party. So what do you do in those situations, where your comfort level is at an all time low?

First, you need to remember that networking is vital to growing your business. You never know when the person you met once at a networking party is going to contact you offering the deal of a lifetime.

So, when you’re faced with a situation where you have to network in person, and you feel uncomfortable about it, try to remember these two things: Be yourself, and relax.

Just Be Yourself

Both of these things are kind of easier said than done, but they’re key to making good connections. I’ll be honest with you; I HATE small talk. Networking, and meeting new people in general, is 90% small talk, 10% deeper connections. So it’s not my favorite thing in the world. A lot of the pressure and awkwardness that I feel comes from the fact that most of the time I’m trying to show the other person I’m a professional, dedicated person. That’s all well and good, but the problem is, when I do that, I end up coming off as stiff and serious. And that’s not me.

It’s sometimes hard, but if you’re a jokey person like me, then try to throw in a few light jokes into a conversation. Sometimes it’ll be well received, sometimes it won’t. But that’s a good risk to take when you’re trying to lighten up a conversation and make deeper connections.

Relax, man…

It’s also important to relax. Why? Because no one likes a stickler. In all seriousness, though, when you’re less worried about whether you’re making a good impression on the other person, you’ll have a much better time. So what if you can’t make a good connection with everyone you meet? You only need one good connection to make the whole thing worthwhile.

Chances are, there are a lot of people out there who feel exactly the same as you do about social events. But there’s always a way to make those fears turn into strengths, and network in a way that makes you feel the most comfortable.