Through networking, Soumya has been introduced to new clients, other businesses and prospective referrals. She speaks about the importance of networking in business.

In today’s age, networking is not what you know, but who you know. Therefore, it is one of the most important skills for a small or medium-sized business to succeed. Thankfully, networking is a skill that can be gained quickly and easily and I’ve gone from a complete novice to a confident networker in just a few months. Here are her top tips.

Join and participate in networking groups

To get the ball rolling on your networking journey, take a look around and see what local groups are available. Often you can find groups tailored to particular locations, business sizes and industries.

The best networking groups are always in-person, with the option to break off and discuss with individuals you hope to connect with. Thankfully there is almost always a group in your area.

Online groups should also be considered and are a great way to compliment in person and face to face networking. There are groups for each industry and location, right down to towns. LinkedIn is a hub for such networking, but other sites such as Facebook also have pages for likeminded individuals and businesses. When joining an online group, the key is to be an active participant and this is an easy way to position yourself as a knowledgeable and engaged professional in your field.

Be authentic

Staying true to your strengths and meaning what you say is important. It is best to bring your authentic self to meetings and be honest about your current situation. Often others in the group will be in the same boat.

By being genuine, you can better understand what your co-networkers are involved in. This is what encourages people to speak on your behalf and refer you to others in their network.

If you are networking in online groups, make sure you comment on posts and share relevant articles.

It is important to remember, networking is about building genuine relationships from your connections, not just adding numbers to your network.

Leverage mutual connections

Networking doesn’t just have to be done in groups. You can ask your existing network for introductions to people you want to connect with. A personal introduction is often more effective than a cold connection request.

Alignment

Make sure you are clear about your business objectives and personal values. Make connections based on those who align with these. More often than not, people who get along with each other as individuals tend to become great business connections too.

Attend events

It always helps to put a face to a name. Attend in-person events whenever possible. If this isn’t possible, virtual events and webinars can also be excellent opportunities and work well when supplementing in person networking. If you’re able to host an event, especially if it is related to your line of business, it will establish you as an expert and be an opportunity to expand your current circle.

I have found that regular, structured networking meetings are incredible value for time and money. They allow you to build trust in the room and create business relationships from connections. While popping into several, infrequent and casual networking meetings might work for solopreneurs or individuals sometimes, it tends to be a lot harder to establish strong relationships and build the trust that leads to the much-desired referrals – so the more networking time the better.