Our guest blogger is Taufik Arief from People Search Indonesia, PT, based in Jakarta. People Search Indonesia, PT serves top multinational, local conglomerates as well as start-up companies in ASEAN, and successfully recruits top and mid-level executives for their clients. Taufik is currently serving on the NPAworldwide board of directors.
Coming to a networking event (club) is a continuous investment made by people in the business community. It’s a channel for business development, brand and reputation building as well as socializing. Achieving a positive ROI for participating in this kind of activity is important for everyone. Following are 5 tips to boost and sustain your ROI from business networking.
1. Do Networking with “Right” Mindset
Business networking is a medium- to long-term investment. People who do it for short term gains might be disappointed. Once in a while we might be lucky to see quick results, but that does not happen all the time. Do not ever come for selling your products, but try to get referrals from your contacts. Networking events are also a good opportunity to build a positive reputation among other professionals who might become our brand ambassador in the future. Finding suitable business partners can also be possible in this kind of environment.
2. Get Connected
Once you arrive at the event venue, try to reach out to other participants quickly. Arriving early is always better. Speak with participants with respect and seek to gain respect in return. Trust your own sense, and you will find potential trading partners who share your same values. Not everyone at the room will be the right partner for you. Thus, choose the most suitable one, but keep respecting the others.
3. Always Add Value
People who do not add value to the community might be irrelevant. Always try to add value; sincerely offer assistance. You can help to connect people, share knowledge/experience or offer personal help. Consistently adding value will build a positive reputation. You can establish a relevant position in the business networking community by providing value to others.
4. Communicate Clearly
Be specific when sharing about yourself, your goals and objectives. Clearly state the kind of assistance you need, or type of contacts you have. Do the same with everyone you meet: inform them about the contact pools you can refer and the type of assistance you can offer.
5. Follow up
Business networking events typically offer just a short period time for speaking with people. A one-time meeting might not impact much, so timely follow-up is crucial. Send an email, or invite your new contact for a coffee meeting. Set a specific collaboration plan, execute the plan, and you will begin to see tangible results from your business networking activities.
What’s your favorite business networking tip? Add a comment below!
