Networking Skills Will Make You More Successful

With the internet, we live in an amazingly interconnected world. People send messages and get instant connections. Because of this, it might seem like the traditional means of networking have fallen by the wayside. But, nothing is further from the truth.

Social media is a fantastic way for people to exchange ideas and meet new contacts. But, it will never have the same power as face-to-face meetings with people. Communication is at its strongest when two individuals look at each other. Women learn more about others within seconds of in-person contact than they ever could strictly online.

Another point to consider is that people online might not always be who they claim they are. Think about how effortless it is to create an online identity. People can be anyone they want to be online. This means the online connections you make could be fake, which will not help you when asking people to work with, support, or utilize your business.  Networking is about engaging with others.

Of course, online connections do have a place. They might be a great starting off point in the networking hierarchy. They can be a great way to meet with people you would never have met using traditional means. However, you need to take the exchange further and coordinate in-person meetings. That is the reason why people often use the phrase, “it’s nice to put a face with the name.”

If you do not believe in-person meetings are important, ask yourself how many online-only connections have become your clients. It is likely to be a small number and even more likely to be none. While you will not work with everyone you meet through face-to-face networking, the number will be much higher than online-only connections.

It is not feasible to meet face-to-face with each person you connect with online. Some people live far away from you. However, people should not consider the internet as the only way to communicate. One way to take advantage of the internet for networking is to use websites like Meetup.com. You can locate groups that have related interests to your own and attend meetings. You can even make meetups yourself if a group does not currently exist on their website.

There is no magic formula for networking, though some techniques may work better than others. Using face-to-face connections is one technique that should yield better results than a purely cyber strategy.