Networking, that sounds too good to be true
Networking has always been a long game and very much about building your reputation and the contacts around you. The more you give, the more that investment will pay off in the future.
Over the past couple of years the need to maintain business connections has increased in importance as has the desire to establish new collaborations, new markets and diversify business. Within this the need to lean on our network of contacts to seek help and advice has been huge.
Online has allowed businesses to expand way beyond the realms in which they have previously operated. Going global is no longer a fantasy, but a very reachable ambition. Networking online has opened up a whole new pool of potential customers, clients and collaborators.
For those that are not natural conversationalists and don’t know how to ‘work a room’, it’s tempting and all too easy to see online business networks as a great substitute to face-to-face networking. After all online takes less effort, is less time consuming and you can do it at any time of day or night to suit you from the comfort of your home or office – no more social awkwardness or ever having to meet people ever again, it sounds too good to be true.
Unfortunately it is. Your digital face in a sea of faces in an online session is far less memorable than an in person interaction. Online, things can be misread and misinterpreted. You are soon forgotten. Online also misses several key ingredients. Personal interaction being a vital one.
Yes, remote conversations can get you part way, but there is no substitute for developing professional relationships ‘in the flesh’. Technology can provide initial engagement and start you on the road to building a relationship, but can’t compete with the subtle signs that only face to face delivers - a handshake, direct eye contact and body language that signals if you are trustworthy, professional, someone they could work with, and you with them. Being able to look someone in the eyes, shake their hand and say ‘hi’ can never be replicated online.
The reality is that there should be a conscious balance between the two. Online can be a very powerful way to find and then develop relationships at scale and across borders. Giving you ‘reach’ and helping sow the seeds of collaboration. Face to face then allowing you to cement meaningful and memorable relationships in the real-world, in addition to further developing your social skills.
Online networking is great at giving you the illusion that you are ‘getting out there’, but if digital is all you do, you’re just building an extensive, but skin-deep base of acquaintances. Every time you make the effort to network face to face, it gets a little bit easier and your contacts run deeper. Experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful. So invest in your relationships both online and in person, it can seriously enhance your success.
