NJ Business Networking Blog

Business Networking - 3 Powerful Ways to Gain Clients with Business to Business Networking

Have you been networking and not getting many new clients?

Business to business networking is one of the most powerful ways to gain new customers. But not all networking is equally effective. You can dash from one networking event to another, spamming people with your business cards, and end up tired and frustrated.

To get new clients from networking, you have to know where and how to network. Here are three tips for networking that brings results:

1. Find the right network. Are you looking for business from small business owners, or large corporations? Do you specialize in a specific industry, such as financial or healthcare? Finding the right network is crucial to making connections that bring you business. Otherwise you can spend a great deal of time connecting with the wrong market.

2. Invest in your network. Once you find a great network for you, invest time and energy in it. Join the executive, volunteer to help with fundraisers, and invite individual members for lunch or coffee. People join these organizations because they want to connect. Go with the view of helping people in the network, and they will help you as well.

3. Have patience. If you are networking with people from large organizations, it takes a great deal of patience and persistence to get work. Eventually it pays off, often when you least expect it to. For example, I met a director of corporate communications from a very large company who said she needed a freelance writer in my field. She gave me her card and asked me to call her. After many phone calls and a few e-mails that received no answer (but leaving phone messages only occasionally) I was about to give up when she actually answered the phone. This lead to a meeting, and a great deal of ongoing work with this company.

Networking is a business tool that works when you do it properly. It’s more effective than cold calling, and a lot more fun as well!