However, there are some basic etiquette and best practice rules that you should follow, to not only make the most of the opportunity, and make sure that everyone else in the room looks to you as a potential partner. These are all best practices that we take seriously at our own events – it’s nothing onerous, but rather common-sense stuff.

Some simple mistakes to avoid in business networking include:

1. Not Being Prepared: Preparation is key in business networking. Before attending a networking event, take the time to build a clear understanding of your business, your target audience, and your unique selling proposition. Rehearse that elevator pitch, too, because you’ll need to be able to describe what you do in a succinct manner.
2. Using Jargon: While it’s important to be knowledgeable in your field, and you should have an understanding of all the jargon yourself, you need to remember that your prospective partners and customers are in different fields, and using too much industry-specific jargon can confuse people. Make sure you’re able to talk about your business and field at a layperson’s level.
3. Lack of Engagement: Networking is not just about distributing business cards. It’s about engaging in meaningful conversations and building relationships. Show genuine interest in others, ask questions, and actively participate in discussions. Make sure that you’re having true to-and-fro conversations, too, and you’re not just talking about yourself and your business.
4. Not Following Up: If you promise to do something during a networking event, such as sending information or making an introduction, make sure to follow through. Failing to do so can not only cause you to lose a potential client… but you could also end up damaging your relationship with the other people in your networking group.
5. Being a Wallflower: Successful networking requires you to step out of your comfort zone and initiate conversations. Don’t wait for others to approach you. It’s fine if you use the first meeting to get a lay of the land, but after that to make the most of the opportunity you will want to be proactive, introduce yourself, and start conversations.
6. Focusing on Quantity Over Quality: While it may be tempting to try and meet as many people as possible at a networking event, it’s more beneficial to focus on building a few quality relationships. These relationships can lead to more opportunities in the long run.
7. Not Being Authentic: This is a sacred rule at Bx! Authenticity is key in networking. People can tell when you’re not being genuine, and it can turn them off. Be yourself, be honest, and people will respect and trust you more.
8. Not Listening: Good networking involves active listening. Even if you’re not certain that the person that you’re networking with is the right fit for your business interests, you just never know who they’re going to talk to down the track. You may also find that simply by listening and learning more, an opportunity and angle that you hadn’t considered will pop up. Show interest in what others are saying, ask follow-up questions, and engage in the conversation.
9. Being Too Salesy: While it’s important to promote your business, no one at a business networking event is looking for the used car salesman approach. Instead of hard selling, focus on building relationships and providing value in the information that you xchange. This will make others more likely to want to do business with you.
10. Not Having a Follow-Up Plan: After a networking event, it’s important to have a plan for following up with the contacts you made. This could be sending an email, making a phone call, or scheduling a meeting. Remember that the networking event itself is really only the start, and a good follow-up can help solidify the relationship and open up opportunities for collaboration.
11. Not Taking Notes: After meeting someone new, it’s helpful to jot down a few notes about the conversation. You will be amazed at just how much good information can be lost, even overnight, and in your followups, you will be so much more impressive if you don’t appear surprised at something that the other person told you previously.
12. Not Being Consistent: Networking is not a one-time event. It requires a commitment to consistency in attending events and following up with contacts. The more consistent that you are, the stronger the relationships that you’ll build within your group, and this will help you stay on top of mind for opportunities.
13. Not Giving Before Getting: We’ve alluded to this a few times above, but it really does need to be made clear: successful networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships. This means helping others before asking for help. By providing value to others, you increase the chances of them wanting to help you in return. Or, to put it more simply: be generous and you’ll be generously rewarded.
14. Not Keeping Your Word: If you promise to do something, such as making an introduction, make sure to follow through. Keeping your word builds trust and strengthens your relationships.
15. Not Thanking People: Finally, after someone has helped you, it’s important to thank them. This shows appreciation, reinforces the relationship, and is simply good manners. A quick thank you note can go a long way in maintaining strong business relationships.

As you can see, the “rules” of business networking are not so different to the simple best practice of person-to-person interaction. Go into these events with the right attitude and an open mind, and you’ll be amazed by how much the horizon opens up for you.

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This article was written by Bx | Business Networking Reimagined for our dynamic community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders.

Since 2015, Bx® has helped thousands of businesses create meaningful, long-lasting referral partnerships to unlock an abundance of leads quickly. We do this by ensuring every meeting we run is professional yet fun, and it must follow our award-winning & proven formula, which does not include selling to each other! Our members also have access to world-leading business education resources and live & pre-recorded training programs worth more than $20,000. Start your journey to become the business owner you were born to be by downloading your FREE 4-Part Video Series, “How to Generate Income by Networking,” and then opting for a FREE Trial Membership to Bx® (Valued at $199), which includes two complimentary meeting tickets to xperience Business Networking Reimagined for yourself!

Want to unlock the power of referral marketing & get hundreds of quality leads flowing into your business? xplore Bx Business Networking Reimagined today!

The post 15 Rules For Better Results: The Etiquette For Business Networking appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

There is plenty you can do to refine your follow-up technique. From all the events and networking support that we’ve provided to our members at Bx, here are some hot tips to make sure you’re making the most of your networking follow-ups:

Dos:

• Prompt Follow-Ups: After an initial meeting or event, promptly follow up within 24-48 hours. It demonstrates your interest and keeps the conversation fresh in everyone’s minds. You also want to be the first one to follow up, if possible, to show your enthusiasm for the opportunity.
• Personalise Your Message: Tailor your follow-up message. Reference a topic you discussed or something unique about the individual or the conversation to show you were actively engaged. It really is obvious when you get copy-pasted and templated emails, and that will often sour the other person’s impression of you.
• xpress Gratitude: Always xpress gratitude for the time and conversation shared. It’s essential to acknowledge and appreciate the other person’s time.
• Provide Value: If your follow-up is nothing more than a sales pitch, it’s going to be very easy to move to the email trash can. Offer something of value in your follow-up, whether it’s a resource, an article, or a piece of information that aligns with the conversation. This showcases your willingness to contribute.
• Be Clear in Your Intentions: Clearly state your reason for following up. Whether it’s for further discussion, collaboration, or even just to stay in touch, clarity is key.
• Follow Through on Promises: If you promised to provide something or set up another meeting, make sure to follow through. It builds trust and reliability.
• Stay Consistent: Regular, periodic follow-ups are essential for maintaining the relationship. It keeps the connection alive and shows your commitment. Don’t worry if this seems one-sided, and don’t wait for the other person to take the initiative. It’s more important that you keep communicating, even if the other party simply prefers to respond to your outreaches.
• Leverage Multiple Channels: Utilise various communication channels – email, social media, or even a handwritten note – to diversify and reinforce your message, and make sure that you’re easy to find if the other person is looking for you.
• Be Patient: Understand that not everyone responds immediately. Give the person time to revert. Patience is key in networking.
• Ask for Feedback: Invite feedback or suggestions on how you can improve or add value. It shows your willingness to learn and grow.

Don’ts:

• Don’t Be Generic: As mentioned above, avoid generic, templated follow-ups. They come off as insincere and diminish the value of your outreach. For this same reason, do not leverage AI to do the writing. AI writing tools might look impressive, but all they do is draw information that they’ve already had input into the system. By default, this content will therefore be generic.
• Avoid Being Pushy: While follow-ups are important, don’t overdo it. Bombarding someone with multiple messages can be off-putting. A good rule of thumb is to follow-up no more than three times, with 2-3 days between outreaches.
• Don’t ignore their response: When you do get a response, be sure to action it instantly (unless it comes in between work hours). You want to be as responsive as you are proactive with the follow-ups.
• Don’t Just Talk About Yourself: A follow-up isn’t a platform to talk solely about yourself or your achievements. Keep the focus on the other person and the shared conversation. There’s a good rule here that your email should have a ration of at least two “you’s” for every one “I” or “we”.
• Avoid Making Assumptions: Don’t assume the recipient remembers every detail of your initial interaction. Provide context and refresh their memory if needed.
• Don’t Overpromise: Be cautious with promises. Only commit to what you can realistically deliver to avoid disappointment or loss of credibility.
• Don’t Overlook Relevance: Ensure your follow-up is relevant and timely. Sending unrelated or outdated information can be counterproductive.
• Avoid Neglecting Follow-Up on Connections: Even if you feel a connection might not yield immediate benefits, don’t neglect to follow up. You never know when it might become valuable, and often a follow-up early on can lead to a business opportunity years down the track that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
• Don’t Burn Bridges: Even if a connection doesn’t seem immediately fruitful, avoid dismissing or disregarding the relationship. Networking is about long-term connections.

More than anything else, just remember to be genuine. Networking is, ultimately, about people connecting with other people, and we would all prefer to connect with a real person than a “slick salesperson” type… no matter how good they are at that particular role.

Follow these best practices and you’ll find that your emails and follow-up calls are getting some xceptional traction!

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This article was written by Bx | Business Networking Reimagined for our dynamic community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders.

Since 2015, Bx® has helped thousands of businesses create meaningful, long-lasting referral partnerships to unlock an abundance of leads quickly. We do this by ensuring every meeting we run is professional yet fun, and it must follow our award-winning & proven formula, which does not include selling to each other! Our members also have access to world-leading business education resources and live & pre-recorded training programs worth more than $20,000. Start your journey to become the business owner you were born to be by downloading your FREE 4-Part Video Series, “How to Generate Income by Networking,” and then opting for a FREE Trial Membership to Bx® (Valued at $199), which includes two complimentary meeting tickets to xperience Business Networking Reimagined for yourself!

Want to unlock the power of referral marketing & get hundreds of quality leads flowing into your business? xplore Bx Business Networking Reimagined today!

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of Networking Follow-Ups appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

The elevator pitch is a concise and compelling presentation of yourself or your idea, and it’s about conveying the benefits of your company and the problem that you’ll solve in a short paragraph. One mistake that people often make is to treat the elevator pitch purely as a sales pitch. It’s not. You’re there to promote your company, but an elevator pitch is there to spark interest.

Here are some great, and inspiring, elevator pitches:

1. “It might shock you to learn that workers in our industry spend 40% of their time trying to coordinate and manage work tasks. They spend only about 35% of their time doing skilled work, which means much of this time could be better managed. With my project management tools, workers can decrease how much time they spend coordinating with other employees and increase the time they spend doing their jobs. Over time, you’ll see a significant increase in your sales and profits.”
2. “A huge part of the human experience that we all share is wanting to build connections. People want to learn and grow with a supportive group. My team collaboration and communication software helps people connect in a way that builds meaningful working relationships and fosters a strong work community. Your business will benefit by having teams that function better than ever before. They will know they are stronger together.”
3. “The problem we’re facing in our industry now is that 30% of worker mistakes are due to lack of strategy and increased workload stress. However, that number will become much lower with our remote workforce project management tools. Your business cannot afford to wait any longer to start using our software, especially given its track record so far in the field.”

Rules of the elevator pitch

The core of an elevator pitch lies in its ability to communicate your unique value in a brief timeframe, typically within 30-60 seconds. It demands a balance between brevity and information richness, requiring a clear understanding of your audience and their needs. Tailoring your pitch to cater to the listener’s interests is key—whether you’re presenting to a potential investor, a client, or someone you’ve just met at a networking event.

A compelling elevator pitch should start with a hook, a captivating opening that captures attention and encourages further engagement. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic, or a compelling anecdote. Following this, the pitch should swiftly transition into a concise summary of who you are or what your product or service entails, emphasising the unique value it offers.

Moreover, a successful elevator pitch is not just about what you say but how you say it. Confidence and passion are contagious. Your delivery—voice modulation, body language, and enthusiasm—can greatly influence how your message is received. Practice is crucial; refining and rehearsing your pitch will enhance its fluency and help you adapt it to different audiences or situations.

Adaptability is another vital aspect of mastering the elevator pitch. The ability to tailor your pitch on the fly, depending on the context and the person you’re engaging with, demonstrates versatility and a deeper understanding of the needs and interests of your audience. This adaptability ensures that your pitch remains relevant and resonates with the listener.

How to get good at the elevator pitch

The first thing you need to know about the elevator pitch is that you’re never going to be able to effectively “wing it.” Make sure that you go through a full brainstorming session to determine exactly what you want to say, and then rehearse it.

When it comes to delivery, you want to convey your enthusiasm. A flat elevator pitch won’t inspire, no matter how good the product is. Take the time to practice your inflections, your delivery, your body language and all the rest of it. If you can, get a camera (a phone camera will do), and practice with someone filming you, so that you can look back at it and refine your performance.

And just like that you’ll be ready for your next set of networking events. Bring your pitch and game face, and look forward to making a splash and drawing a lot of follow-up meetings with interested parties. Over time, the elevator pitch will be a key tool in the toolchest, and an ongoing gateway to making a lasting impression.

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This article was written by Bx | Business Networking Reimagined for our dynamic community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders.

Since 2015, Bx® has helped thousands of businesses create meaningful, long-lasting referral partnerships to unlock an abundance of leads quickly. We do this by ensuring every meeting we run is professional yet fun, and it must follow our award-winning & proven formula, which does not include selling to each other! Our members also have access to world-leading business education resources and live & pre-recorded training programs worth more than $20,000. Start your journey to become the business owner you were born to be by downloading your FREE 4-Part Video Series, “How to Generate Income by Networking,” and then opting for a FREE Trial Membership to Bx® (Valued at $199), which includes two complimentary meeting tickets to xperience Business Networking Reimagined for yourself!

Want to unlock the power of referral marketing & get hundreds of quality leads flowing into your business? xplore Bx Business Networking Reimagined today!

The post Mastering the Art of the Elevator Pitch: A Networking Must-Have appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

In particular, it is worth getting familiar with these seven applications, because they will fundamentally help build on the good networking work that you’ll be doing in your local Bx meeting:

1. LinkedIn

The great thing about LinkedIn is that it has very robust features, all focused on assisting you with networking. These include InMail for direct messaging, specialised groups for focused interactions, and the ability to publish content. You can establish yourself as a thought leader and expert on LinkedIn, and in doing that, you can be sure that potential partners will be inspired by your insights and reach out to you to discuss further. Make sure your Bx Network contacts follow you on LinkedIn, and it’ll will become an excellent avenue to deepen your relationship with them further.

2. Eventbrite

Eventbrite simplifies the process of discovering and attending events in your local area. Obviously, this isn’t just about your Bx meetings, good networking means that you’re out there at as many events as you can find that are related to your field. Business events and small conferences are regularly organised and ticketed through Eventbrite, so keeping a close eye on what’s going on there is a good way to keep a finger on the pulse for your local business environment.

3. Meetup

Meetup operates as a transformative app designed to bring people together in thousands of cities worldwide. Rooted in a simple yet powerful concept — doing more of what matters in life by connecting with like-minded individuals — Meetup transcends conventional networking. By fostering a sense of community around shared interests and activities, it provides a unique space where individuals can thrive at their best. Whether pursuing professional goals, hobbies, or personal passions, Meetup transforms networking into a collaborative and fulfilling experience. The way to use this in collaboration with Bx is to form a circle through your Bx Networking, and then continue to engage with them – perhaps socially – via Meetup.

4. CamCard

CamCard is a game-changer in professional networking, because it brings innovation to the very first thing you probably ordered from the stationary store when setting up your business: the business card. Serving as a sophisticated business card reader and manager, CamCard enables users to effortlessly scan, store, exchange, and manage their contacts. That means no more lost cards, and easy to search for information when you need it. In other words, CamCard will make sure that both you and your contacts are able to stay in touch, by keeping you all top of mind in each other’s personal databases.

5. ZoomInfo

Tailored for sales, marketing, and recruiting professionals, ZoomInfo is also therefore very useful for anyone that needs to network – because after all, “networking” is 90% of the job in sales, marketing and recruitment.  ZoomInfo has the powerful ability to deliver real-time insights into potential connection and that really elevates networking efforts, making it an indispensable resource for professionals navigating the intricate landscape of business relationships.

6. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM has become a formidable player in the customer relationship management software domain. It is tailored to meet the needs of businesses across various sizes and sectors. This comprehensive tool empowers organisations to close deals smarter, better, and faster. By seamlessly integrating contact management, sales automation, and analytical insights, Zoho CRM enhances networking capabilities by providing a centralised platform for nurturing and strengthening professional relationships. Its intuitive features make it an indispensable asset in the networking toolkit, offering a strategic advantage to businesses looking to navigate the competitive landscape with finesse.

7. Slack

Positioned as a collaboration hub, Slack is another useful tool for networking. By getting your network of contacts onto the platform, everyone can work together efficiently and easily. Slack creates a cohesive environment conducive to effective networking. The platform’s real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrations with various tools simplify communication, fostering a culture of transparency and accessibility. Slack serves as more than just a communication tool; it becomes a virtual space where networking and collaboration effortlessly converge. As professionals interact within Slack channels, networking becomes an integral part of daily operations, creating a dynamic and interconnected workspace.

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This article was written by Bx | Business Networking Reimagined for our dynamic community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders.

Since 2015, Bx® has helped thousands of businesses create meaningful, long-lasting referral partnerships to unlock an abundance of leads quickly. We do this by ensuring every meeting we run is professional yet fun, and it must follow our award-winning & proven formula, which does not include selling to each other! Our members also have access to world-leading business education resources and live & pre-recorded training programs worth more than $20,000. Start your journey to become the business owner you were born to be by downloading your FREE 4-Part Video Series, “How to Generate Income by Networking,” and then opting for a FREE Trial Membership to Bx® (Valued at $199), which includes two complimentary meeting tickets to xperience Business Networking Reimagined for yourself!

Want to unlock the power of referral marketing & get hundreds of quality leads flowing into your business? xplore Bx Business Networking Reimagined today!

The post Key Tools And Apps To Enhance Your Networking appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

However, networking is not always easy or natural for everyone. Some people may feel anxious, awkward, or uncomfortable when meeting new people or reaching out to existing contacts. We’ve all seen that at Bx Networking meetings. People come, knowing that it will be good for their business, but then struggle to find a way to get involved. Others may struggle to communicate effectively, make a good impression, or follow up after an interaction.

We’re here for you and will help you make the connections within your Bx community that you need to. However, there are a lot of things that you can do for yourself too. The answer lies in understanding the psychology behind human connection and communication dynamics.

Human connection is the feeling of being close, related, or bonded with another person. You might be talking business at your Bx meetings, but the first step in networking effectively is in understanding that a human being is sitting opposite you.

With that in mind, the next step is understanding how to effectively interact with them, in such a way that leaves a positive impression. So, here’s a bit of theory to wrap your mind around. According to the self-determination theory, human connection is one of the three basic psychological needs, along with autonomy and competence, that motivate our behaviour. When we feel connected to others, we experience positive emotions, such as joy, gratitude, and trust. When we feel disconnected, we experience negative emotions, such as loneliness, sadness, and fear. Therefore, human connection is essential for our mental and emotional health.

We’re going somewhere with this, we promise. Bear with us a bit longer!

Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, or feelings with another person. It will start with your Bx meeting, but it will extend far beyond that, and it is the main tool for creating and maintaining human connection. Communication can be verbal or non-verbal, and it can occur through various channels, such as face-to-face, phone, email, or social media. Communication is influenced by many factors, such as the context, the purpose, the message, the medium, the sender, the receiver, and the feedback. Communication is also affected by our personality, emotions, attitudes, beliefs, values, and expectations. Therefore, communication is complex and dynamic, and it requires skill and awareness to be effective.

Understanding the psychology of human connection and communication can help us improve our networking outcomes in several ways. First, it can help us overcome our fears and insecurities that may prevent us from networking. For example, we can recognise that networking is not about selling ourselves or asking for favours, but about building genuine and mutually beneficial relationships (if that sounds familiar than it’s because you’ll hear it regularly with us – we consider this to be foundational to good networking). We can also acknowledge that networking is not a competition or a comparison, but a collaboration and a contribution.

Every so often someone does come to Bx looking for transactional-style interactions, but that’s the wrong way to go about it. With networking, looking to build long-term relationships is key in addressing the psychological needs that a person will be looking for from you in interacting with you.

Secondly, you want to be practising the communication techniques that support positive relationship building. You can learn and refine your abilities in areas such as active listening, empathic responding, open-ended questioning, and assertive speaking, to enhance your rapport and understanding of the person that you’re networking with.

A final area of psychology that will be worth keeping in mind as you develop your networking capabilities is in concepts of social capital, such as bonding, bridging, and linking, to diversify and optimise your network. We can also use the methods of relationship management, such as following up, staying in touch, providing value, and asking for feedback, to nurture and grow your network.

All of this might sound like common sense (and so much of psychology is), but here is an art form to is, and networking is a skill that can be learned and improved by understanding the psychology behind human connection and communication dynamics.

That might sound like a process – and it is – but also consider this. No matter how uncomfortable or “bad” you might think you are at networking, you can also turn it into one of your most effective skills. Some practice and rehearsal, as well as understanding why people act the way they do in networking meetings, can go a long way to helping you master this vital skill.

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This article was written by Bx | Business Networking Reimagined for our dynamic community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and founders.

Since 2015, Bx® has helped thousands of businesses create meaningful, long-lasting referral partnerships to unlock an abundance of leads quickly. We do this by ensuring every meeting we run is professional yet fun, and it must follow our award-winning & proven formula, which does not include selling to each other! Our members also have access to world-leading business education resources and live & pre-recorded training programs worth more than $20,000. Start your journey to become the business owner you were born to be by downloading your FREE 4-Part Video Series, “How to Generate Income by Networking,” and then opting for a FREE Trial Membership to Bx® (Valued at $199), which includes two complimentary meeting tickets to xperience Business Networking Reimagined for yourself!

Want to unlock the power of referral marketing & get hundreds of quality leads flowing into your business? xplore Bx Business Networking Reimagined today!

The post The Psychology of Networking: Understanding Human Connection appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

Kathleen Ann shares with you tips and tricks to delivering an xceptional xCite presentation.

The post How to Deliver an xCeptional xCite Presentation appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

With thousands of events held across Australia and New Zealand every year, plus a rapidly expanding network across the North America, Bx provides enormous value to our members by giving access to any and as many of or events across the globe as they would like to attend. There’s no limit – we have members attending multiple meetings every week…and sometimes a day!

One other significant difference between Bx and other networking is what we like to refer to (no pun intended!) as the carrot and the stick approach. At Bx, we provide the carrot – we have the resources, education, process and events to help you achieve MASSIVE ROI from your time at Bx. What you put in, you will receive a hundred fold in return. Many other networking organisation require you to refer a certain amount of business, invite people to meetings and have a certain number of meetings outside the actual networking event. It’s kind of like forced accountability. Bx members are empowered to get results, but accountable to themselves…isn’t this why you went into business in the first place!

Does it work? You betcha! We have thousands of members xperiencing the value of proposition and getting xceptional results. Our case studies show that members who engage in the process, build referral partners, and strategically work with them using the Bx Referral Partner Plan, generate on average $20k per referral partner, which in turn is over $100k in new business every year, by being a Bx member.

If you’d like to know more about how it all works, just come along to a Bx meeting a check it out. Our Bx Online virtual networking events are complementary to attend (as a guest you can come up to two times before requiring to be a member) and if you want to check out a Live & Local Bx meeting, and enjoy brekkie, lunch or dinner as well as a quality networking xperience, you are also more than welcome.

Find a meeting local to you here: http://bxnetworking.com/locations/

The post How is Bx different to other networking groups? appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

And check out this video from the Corporate Partnerships Manager of the Black Dog Institute, Tasman Cassim.

Don’t forget to DONATE to the Black Dog Institute so we can see Matt shave his head!

https://www.teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/BxNetworking

The resources Tas mentions are as follows.

Online Clinic: https://onlineclinic.blackdoginstitute.org.au/

HeadGear: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/digital-tools-apps/headgear/

The post The Black Dog Institute Fundraiser and Bx Trivia Night appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

1. Expertise

At networking events, you can find people who have worked in your industry for much longer than you. Through them you can hear about the progress that has been made, the mistakes not to make and insights regarding the future of your industry. It’s not all about what you can gain however, networking also calls on you to impart your own knowledge. At some point, you will meet someone else who is only starting out, then it’s your turn to impart your knowledge.

2. Opportunities

The more people you know in your industry and outside of it, the more likely it is that opportunities will be thrown in your direction. If you’re known as a trustworthy contact, no one will hesitate to throw you an opportunity – anything from joint ventures to partnerships and client leads could start to pop up after great networking.

3. Communication

Many people tend to veer away from networking events because they consider themselves to be shy or introverted, but let’s flip that perspective on its head. Being shy or a bit of an introvert is not a negative when it comes to networking, instead, the events are great opportunities to practice. It can be daunting but giving it a try and enhancing your communication skills while making great connections can hardly leave you at a disadvantage.

4. Reputation

After a few events, you’ll find yourself recommending your new connections to the people in your world. Suddenly, you’ve been made aware of great, trustworthy, hard-working individuals and you have no qualms about recommending them to friends and colleagues. Fortunately for you, you’re not the only one who is spreading the word; your new connections have now begun to recommend you to their people too.

5. Support

All of the previous benefits can be measured through the sales in your business, but there is one benefit that cannot – support. Networking can deliver you like-minded business colleagues who understand the challenge of business ownership.

Regardless of whether you benefit in one, two or all five of these areas, it’s extremely unlikely you will miss out on any of the perks. Set aside some time on your calendar for the next networking event that crosses your path, give it a try and see how your business starts to pick up pace – remember, you have nothing to lose.

The post Is Networking Worth Your Time? appeared first on Bx New Zealand - Business Networking Reimagined.

The 3 traits of a decisive person

Focused – A decisive person has their eye on what’s best for the business in the long-run, not just what will benefit them tomorrow or what will be best for them personally.

Confident – Once they make their decision, they stick by it. This doesn’t mean they can’t admit that they may have chosen the wrong path, but they are confident that they were convinced their choice was the best decision at the time.

Well-prepared – They are ready for the consequences of their decisions, whether they are positive or negative. They’ve thought their decision through completely.

So how do we cultivate those traits?

Be educated: know everything there is to know about your business so that you know how your decision will affect every department. Be across the money, the sales, the administration, even if you don’t usually dabble in those areas.
Speak to others: you are not the first person to ever make a difficult decision. There is no need to pour your heart out to everyone you meet, but speaking to fellow business owners and finding out what they decided in similar positions can help you to discover the pros and cons to your possible decisions.
Explore your options: write down a list of pros and cons for your decisions, conduct ‘what if?’ scenarios. Do what you can to explore every option fully, leaving no stone unturned. There’s no need to overthink it and create mountains out of molehills but being thorough is essential.
Have a long-term goal: sometimes, decisions can cause setbacks in the immediate future but will actually benefit your business in the long run. Having the ability to look past the ‘immediate’ to work towards a bigger goal can help you to make the right decision, rather than the easy one.

Whatever you choose, be committed to your choice. Your business needs someone who is decisive and committed to making the right, and sometimes difficult, decisions. You can guarantee that you will make mistakes; it’s part of the process of decision-making.

If your business has some difficult choices ahead of it, we find it’s better not being done is isolation. Like-minded peers can be great sounding boards, have you thought about joining one of our supportive business networking groups? Visit BxNetworking.com

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