If you’re new to business networking, you might be discovering it can (and should) be much more strategic than just showing up. You might also be feeling some stress about it. I can remember being worried about how to start conversations and what to talk about. And even now, I still expect to feel the embarrassment of not remembering someone’s name. But I always enjoy myself when I’m with small business folk.
When I recently stumbled on this blog post I wrote 8 years ago, I realized I was encouraging myself, as well as readers, to more fully embrace networking. And it turns out I’ve done a good job of following my own advice.
Holding my own events has given me a sense of control… which begets confidence. It has also helped to grow my reputation, my mailing list and my client base. One-time or repeating events, public or by invitation, formal or casual… I’ve done them all and found value every time.
Take 2 minutes to read this blog post and see what self-serve networking ideas you come up with.