Build Successful Business Connections

If you ask anyone how they got to where they are today, you quickly learn that many successful people have connections. However, these connections were not simply handed over to them; instead, they were forged through professional business networking. You see, business revolves around people. In fact, who you know is more important than what you know in business. People affect your business in so many areas. You can think about sales, human resources, or even suppliers and the supply chain. People are important in so many aspects or areas of your business, and creating the right link or connection in your business becomes much more important.

For that reason, having the right link or connection is essential to the growth of your business, especially if you intend to be successful in business. I cannot agree more with Robert Kiyosaki when he says, “Your network is your net worth.” It is, therefore, extremely important for all of us to build and maintain professional relationships or networks that are going to help us in our careers and in building our businesses.

In today’s article, I’m exploring strategies that you can implement in order for you to build professional networks so as to create a brand for yourself, build your business, and land the career that you’ve always dreamt of.

Making new connections, whether for your business or your career, is not an easy thing to do. So today, I want to explore some of the strategies that you can implement as you carry out this extremely challenging task, especially if you’re an introvert. I’m going to share with you some of the strategies that you can utilize as you go about building business connections.

Now, I would like us to reflect back on Robert Kiyosaki’s saying that “Your network is your net worth.” Just think about this for a little while.

• What does this mean?
• Let’s think about how much you’re worth right now.
• Think about how much you have in your bank account right now, including your property and other investments.

Whatever amount you are worth indicates what your network is comprised of – who you are connected with, who you know. That’s why Robert Kiyosaki says “Your network is your net worth,” meaning that you are worth your connections, really. And that’s very true because the people you know will determine how much you can eventually make, and that is the importance of business connections or any connections. Whether it be for your career or your job, especially if you are seeking a job or you’re just starting out in business, the connections that you make will determine your worth at the end of the day.

“Look at the people you’re hanging around with and consider their worth. At the end of the day, it’s the people you associate with, in addition to yourself, that determine the connections you have. When I say the people you’re hanging out with, I mean the connections you have. The people you’re connected with within your business will give you your net worth. So, think about this carefully, and perhaps today is the day to start building better connections. You may even consider letting go of connections that are not relevant or do not add value to your business or career. It’s something for all of us to think about.

1. Objective

• The first thing you need to consider when thinking about networking to build business connections is the objective.
• What is the reason you want these business connections? Is it to get a new job, grow your business, or seek financing or investment?
• It’s essential to start by looking at the goal or the objective, as it will make you clear about everything else that comes with networking effectively.

2. Networking platforms

Having considered your objective, you now need to look at events or platforms that will enable you to network. Nowadays, there are many platforms you can use for networking:

1. Let’s start with websites that you can use to create business connections.

• Social media is a great platform for building business connections, especially if you’re an introvert. You can start by creating a profile on LinkedIn and then asking for connections from people you already know and asking for referrals. That’s how you start building business connections through LinkedIn.
• There are quite a few platforms nowadays, such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, that you can use to create connections with people who share the same interests as you. Once you select a platform, such as LinkedIn, you can start seeking out connections from different people.

1. Another way of connecting with people traditionally has been through events. Many people, including myself, have attended many networking events.

• You need to find out what events are taking place where you’re likely to meet the people who will help you attain the objective you’ve created for yourself.
• You need to research thoroughly and look for the right events where you’re likely to find the right people who will help you.
• When seeking out events to attend for networking, you need to look for events that cater to your interests.Look for events where you’re likely to meet the people who will help you in attaining your vision. It’s not necessary to attend every event. You need to think carefully and look for events that will be valuable to you and your interests.
• A good way to find events relevant to your industry or interests is by looking at business associations. There are many business associations that you can affiliate yourself within your specific industry. Normally, these business associations hold events or workshops to which you’re invited, and you’re likely to find customers or business connections that will be useful in attaining your goals when you go out networking.

As you prepare to go out to network, two things are important. You need to think about the objective or the reason for your networking, and you also need to consider the events that will help you attain that objective.”

Now, let’s move forward assuming you already have a clear goal, objective for your networking, and you’ve already identified the platforms you’re on, like LinkedIn, and there are events taking place. How do you go about successfully networking when attending an event or even asking for a business connection on LinkedIn?

The first thing I would encourage you to do is to be very open-minded.

• When attending networking events, particularly events or workshops, you are likely to meet different kinds of people with different positions in different companies from different industries. For instance, in one company, you might find a director, a general manager, and maybe just a member of staff from that organization. So, you need to be very open-minded and engaged with everyone, as you never know who’s going to be the right connection or link to attaining your objective. Therefore, don’t be too selective when you’re at a networking event.
• When you get to that event, remember to introduce yourself in a friendly manner. First of all, when you get to that networking event, if you’re coming from a company and you’ve brought a colleague with you, it’s crucial not to sit with your colleague throughout the event. The reason why you’re going out is so that you can meet new people; that is what networking is about. So, avoid sticking with your workmates or colleagues from the same organization as yourself. In fact, I would encourage you to sit at a table where you don’t know anyone and introduce yourself.
• When you introduce yourself, don’t say, “I am the director at ABC Limited.” Instead, consider introducing yourself by what you actually do. For instance, you could say, “Hi there, I’m Mukonki, and I love to help SMEs grow their businesses.” Then, allow time for that person to introduce themselves, and they’ll tell you their name as well. Going forward, don’t forget their names when you meet them again or if you’re introducing them to a colleague of yours. Remember to mention their name, so that way, you are starting to build a connection with people that you don’t know that you’re meeting at these networking events.
• As you are engaging in networking, and talking to different people, you need to give people a chance to talk as well. So, you need to be a good listener and listen to what they are telling you. Repeat some of the things that they are telling you to clarify that you got what they’re saying.
• Now, still, at the event, many people love to carry business cards with them when attending networking events. It’s a good thing to carry a business card when going to a networking event, but I would encourage you not to just drop business cards to anyone and everyone at that event, as you’ll just be wasting your stationery. The effective way of handing out business cards to people that you’re meeting at networking events is by first introducing yourself, as discussed earlier, and also creating some kind of rapport with them. You need to connect somehow, and then you leave your business card with them because that way, they’re going to remember you and the discussion you had with them during the event.

Therefore, it’s good to carry business cards, but don’t just flash them all over the place or just drop them off with anybody, as they might end up in the bin and they won’t even remember you just a day later.

Now, the final tip I would like to leave with you is about the time after the networking event. After the event ends, it is the most crucial time for you to start building connections. During the event, you just met them. Now, within the next 48 hours after the networking event, you need to get back to your contacts – the people you networked with, spoke with, and left a business card with. This brings me back to the event itself. While engaging with people in the networking event, always discuss issues that will help you continue that discussion even after the event.

After the event. you need to contact them within the next 48 hours and always refer back to the discussions you had.

• If you told them that you would send them a brochure of what you do or leave them with an item to follow up on, within the next 48 hours, it allows you to get back to them and send them that brochure, email or just follow up on your discussion.
• It’s very important to follow up after the networking event because that is when you actually start building the relationship.
• If you are on LinkedIn, it’s essential to connect with your contacts. This is something that I’m learning myself. I’ve got many connections on LinkedIn, and I would love for you to be one of them. So, if we are not connected on LinkedIn, please search for my name, Mukonki Mukonkela, and connect with me. We can share a few interests on how we can work with SMEs to grow their businesses together

Networking requires a lot of initiative and effort from yourself. However, it is an effort that will repay you in the long term because as you network, you never know how one person can turn your life around just from one networking event. Remember, your network is your net worth. Just one business network can increase your net worth drastically.

Networking is a crucial tool for building and growing your business brand, especially for startups, and people who are just starting out in business. It is through networking events that you meet different people that might help you with customers’ referrals or financing. I have often said that banks usually lend to people that they know. If you don’t know anybody at any bank, and they don’t know you, it’s very unlikely that you can be funded. Therefore, you need to get out there and create business connections.

We all need to network, don’t we?