In the competitive world of sales and marketing, building and maintaining a strong network is essential for advancing your career. With the rise of social media and the constantly evolving business landscape, it’s crucial to adapt and improve your networking strategy. In this article, we’ll share specific tips to strengthen your network and unlock new professional opportunities.
Here are some practical tips to improve your networking:
1. Attend Local Events
If you live in or near a city, you likely have access to a calendar of events you may not have considered before. Here’s a list of some opportunities that might be new to you: conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, talks, workshops, and more.
2. Take Social Media Offline (Face-to-Face)
Approximately 2.34 billion people use social media around the world, yet we feel more isolated than ever. What if we started investing more time and attention into connections with people within our reach? One way to do this is by reviewing the people in your social media accounts and paying attention to anyone you’ve been consistently following for some time.
3. Manage Your Personal Brand
Your personal brand is how others perceive you and your company. Make sure your brand image is consistent across all platforms where you’re active, from your social media profiles to your emails.
4. Dedicate Time to Interaction
When you participate in an event, conference, or online masterclass, make an effort to ask questions or answer queries that come up. Remember that at the heart of a good networking strategy is interaction—exchanging useful and valuable information.
5. Build Partnerships
If you believe your product fits someone’s needs, invest time in creating a business relationship. Remember that the more options a consumer has available, the more effort you need to invest in demonstrating that your product or service is the solution to their problems.
6. Offer Free Trials or Demos
Consumers are constantly searching for brands that improve their experiences, and 43% of them prefer to spend more money on a brand that offers a superior experience.
7. Stay Active on Your Target Customer’s Social Media
You need to maintain a consistent and participative presence on your target audience’s social media platforms. This means posting relevant content, engaging with followers, and staying on top of trends and conversations on social platforms.
8. Set Your Goals
It’s important to know where you’re headed and why, as networking in an academic setting is different from networking in a business or professional context.
9. Prepare a Strong Presentation
It’s advisable to plan important client meetings in a neutral environment, as ideas and conversations flow more naturally in these types of settings.
10. Stay Informed
Prepare yourself to participate in conversations where you may not have much experience, since in a group setting, you can’t always control the topics of conversation. A good way to handle this situation is by reading regularly.
Final Thoughts
Remember that expanding your network is an investment in your future, and these tips can help you advance your career in the consumer goods industry.
