As we get close to heading back to some real world networking events at last – or perhaps attending networking events for the first time – it’s a good time to remind ourselves of what networking actually is. And there’s good news – it’s still just chatting!
When we break it down, networking is simply chatting with other people and developing relationships. It’s not having to promote your business and it’s definitely not sales. It’s simply chatting with other people and developing relationships.
Especially if the thought of going networking makes you nervous (and that’s completely understandable – lots of us were told as children not to talk to strangers!), or if you’re going networking and not enjoying it or getting as much benefit as you’d like, spend a little time telling yourself ‘It’s just chatting’. That’s something we do every day, with family, friends, colleagues and yes, sometimes strangers too! All we’re doing when we go networking is extending that chatting to other people attending the same event as we are.
A great definition of networking I once heard is ‘business socialising’. It’s simply socialising but in a business environment. The more we listen and talk, the more good relationships we build. And the more good relationships we build, the more sales we make in the long run!
We’re finally able to set dates for the return of ABN networking events. We’re very excited to be back – our last one was March 2020! To find out more, visit the events section of ABNCommunity here, and to buy event credits (and save money!) click here