Networking
Networking is simply the act of meeting people and promoting your business mouth-to-mouth. If you’re not a social person, or an introvert, dislike blending your social life and work life, or not naturally inclined to easily make friends this may not be for you. You should really read ‘How to win friends and influence people’.
Many business can’t effectively go out and find new clients, they need an introduction or some way to start a human relationship. There are a lot of ways to do networking but if you are doing it to get new clients my advice would be the listen first.
Ask what the other person does professionally
Listen and understand some of their pain points
When they finally come back around to asking … and what do you do?
Tailor your answer very specifically to how your business could benefit them
Where to network:
Conferences are a good way to meet people in an industry
Parties
Industry events
After work drinks etc
Product launches
Art galleries
More reading at Harvard Business Review
