Why is Networking so Important and How Do You Do It?

Networking is vital for business, but in order to network successfully you need to be prepared to develop strong relationships that benefit each person. Many people don’t maintain these relationships, claiming that they don’t get any business from networking, but in order to achieve this you need to develop a strong relationship – business doesn’t appear within a few chance meetings and you won’t get instant gratification. Here are some top tips to ensure that your networking secures your company some great business.

 

1 – Understand your target market

There’s no point in networking with companies who don’t help you to reach your target market, so do your research beforehand in order to find like-minded businesses. Find networking functions in your local area that suit your company - they’re a great way to meet people and can help you connect with your target market.

 

2 – Know your worth

When you’re preparing to build your network, you need to know what you can bring to the table – after all, relationships are a two-way thing. Take a look at your skill set and what your business offers, then think about how you would be of use to other companies. These aspects of you as a networker are what will help you to build a professional network.

 

3 – What are your goals?

An important part of your marketing plan will be your goals, and this applies to your professional networking, too. What are your objectives and how will you measure your success? You don’t want to attend networking events on the off-chance of meeting someone who will help your company – take the initiative and work towards your goals.

 

4 – Give to receive

If you want to be a successful networker you need remember one important rule – in order to receive value, you need to offer value. The purpose of successful networking is to build strong relationships, so everyone involved needs to be of value. You need to give as much time and effort as you’d expect to receive from the other person.

 

5 – Maintain your relationships

If you’re expecting to meet someone at an event and grow your business instantly, you’ll be disappointed. A relationship won’t sustain itself, so you need to follow-up with people who you meet and build trust.

Categories: Better Relationship, networking, work

Four Things You Can Do to Improve Your Relationship

According to Harriet Lerner, PhD, celebrated author of The Dance of Anger, ‘It takes two people to couple up and get married, but only one to make a relationship better.’ She believes that if you wait for your spouse to change first, your relationship wellness will only suffer, and your emotional wellbeing could also be at risk. In her new book, Marriage Rules, Harriet outlines 100 clear-cut, everyday ways to improve your marriage – starting with you and your own behaviour, and we picked out a few interesting examples.

1. Just bite the bullet – Let’s say your partner keeps going on about something going on at work, and you’re sick of it coming up all the time. Rather than waiting for the next time your partner brings it up, you need to initiate that very conversation. Letting your partner get it all out in on fell swoop will make them dwell on the issue less. You don’t need to cheer your partner up or offer solutions; you just have to listen.

2. Sum it up in three sentences or less – When there’s something you’d like to talk about, but your partner says “I’m not good at talking”, what they really mean is that there’s too much information to process, and your partner will shut down. To you, your partner not cooking dinner when they said they would may represent one of many incidences where they’ve let you down, but making it about that won’t solve anything. Say; “You said you’d cook dinner, and you didn’t” when describing the problem, and stop there.

3. Forget the word “foreplay” – It’s true that most couples need to talk more about sex, and no one is saying that foreplay is a bad thing, but clunky vocabulary like this isn’t helpful. Foreplay is not a sexy word and, moreover, it implies that whatever you do short of intercourse is just something you do to get ready.

4. Do what you do best – A lot of couples seek expert advice for ways to make their relationship better, but the truth is that you and your partner are a unique combination, and your relationship works differently to everyone else’s. Celebrate the wonderful thing that is your relationship, and name the little things that you’ve done to make your partner happier in the past. Maybe you have been known to clean your partner’s car for them, or bake them something as a surprise. Once you have your list, try doing them again and soon they will reciprocate.

Four Things You Can Do to Improve Your Relationship

Categories: Better Relationship, Conversations, dinner, Foreplay, partner, relationship, time