My top networking tips for 2018

My top networking tips for 2018

Amy Lishman, Membership Manager is on hand to give us her top tips for making sure your networking counts this year. 

Photo by Simon Callaghan Photography

Networking. Generally something that people loathe but mostly everyone agrees they must do it, whether it be with an industry body, a networking group or a Chamber of Commerce. Here are some top tips to revamp your networking in 2018.

1)      Show up

It’s 7am, it’s cold, the rain is pouring sideways and your umbrella is redundant against the Brighton wind. The last thing you probably want to do is go to a networking event, walk into a room full of people and talk to people you’ve never met before. When I put it like that, it doesn’t sound appealing but you know once you get there you’ll have some great conversations that could help your business. Showing up to networking events is often half the battle. We’re busy people (in our membership survey almost a third of you said your biggest challenge was needing more time) but networking is part of doing business, not separate from it. Networking is a vital part of growing businesses and face to face networking is still the number one way to build trust. Here at Brighton Chamber we’re on hand to make sure that showing up counts – with inspirational speakers, introductions and a good variety of networking opportunities to help you sustain and grow your business. 

2)      Body language matters

Phew. You’ve managed to start a conversation with someone and it’s off to a good start but you’d like to meet some new people now. Why is no-one coming over? One thing I’ve found is that it’s often body language that puts people off. When two people are talking, they will often turn to face each other head on making it almost impossible for someone to join the conversation without having to make a significant effort to interrupt. It’s remarkable the difference you can make to the number of people you meet by opening yourself up, literally, by moving into a V shape. Another fairly simple way to encourage people to talk to you is to smile. A smile can be an invitation to join a conversation and makes you so much more approachable.  

3)      What makes you different?

If you get asked what you do in your business, make sure you’re telling people what differentiates yourself from your competitors. It’s quite common for me to hear people say ‘we’re different because we put our customers first’ or another generic statement that could apply to 10 different companies. Practice talking about your business and even ask your customers what they think makes you different from the rest as help with your networking.

4)      Ask for introductions

At the Chamber I often get asked to make introductions to people at events. It’s a great way to connect with the people you want to meet, especially if you don’t have much time and you know who you want to talk to. Having an introduction from someone who has taken the time to understand what you need/what you are offering is invaluable. If you’re a Chamber member, why not ask one of the Chamber team for an introduction at one of our events? Look to see who’s coming and let us know if there is anyone you’d like to meet. Similarly, can anyone else in your network make an introduction for you? Don’t be shy – my favourite saying as a Membership Manager is ‘if you don’t ask you don’t get’.

5)      Follow up, follow up, follow up

Once you’ve left the networking event it’s all too easy to get back to the office and sucked into the latest drama or urgent e-mails and forget about the mound of business cards collecting dust on your desk. It’s an easy mistake to make but not following up could be costing you some important connections and business. A short e-mail within a day or two of the event following up on something you discussed, or even just sharing a helpful bit of information can go a long way in building and developing your network. Even if you don’t think they can directly help you, keep an open mind. Get into some good follow up habits and watch your networking fortunes change!

6)      Do it all again

Networking gets easier the more you do it. Honestly. Firstly, as you network more, the bigger your own network gets, so the likelihood of you walking into another event without knowing someone is dramatically reduced. Secondly, practice makes perfect. The next time you go to a networking event, you’ll know how to describe what makes you different, which events work for you and your style of networking and you’ll get to find out which venues do the best breakfast (Carluccios, obviously). Brighton Chamber offer over 100 events a year to choose from for business from all sectors and sizes so there’s always a networking event coming up. Keep checking our events calendar or chat to one of the team about what might be right for you.

If you’d like to know more about Brighton Chamber and how we can help you with your networking goals in 2018 contact me, Amy at membership@businessinbrighton.org.uk or give us a call on 01273 719097

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk