Business networking is a great business tool for businesses of all sizes and scales. It gives you an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and build connections. At The Bradfield Centre, we offer opportunities for members to network and meet with others at our Cambridge location.
Below, our team has written a short blog that lists five tips for networking. Read on to learn more, and if you’d like to get in touch with us, call us today on 0333 00 66 330.
Develop a Strategy
When you are thinking about networking, make sure you work on a clear strategy. Ideally, you want to consider what you are exactly looking to achieve. This might be increasing visibility of your company, gaining new contacts, generating referrals or learning new skills. Ultimately, it’s imperative that you network with a definite strategy - so that you can get the maximum results.
Take Yourself out of your Comfort Zone
It can be tempting to chat with people that you already know, but one of the key parts of networking is speaking to people that are outside of your network. When you’re attending a networking event, don’t look for someone you’ve spoken to before; instead, scan the room for people you haven’t met yet and then take the opportunity to go and spark up a conversation with them. You never know what connections you will make when you take yourself out of your comfort zone.
Attend on a Regular Basis
Networking can take a while to build up relationships and integrate yourself into a community. Therefore, the most important thing is to simply keep attending and turning up at events. If you are attending regularly, this will increase your presence and over time, you’ll start developing more significant relationships. It’s imperative that you don’t stop attending, as this will cause you to slowly lose contact with your connections and the overall impact of networking will be lost.
Follow Up
It’s not always about what happens at the networking event. In many instances, it’s more about what you do following the event. This means that you need to be proactive and communicative after the event has taken place. You should follow up and use social media sites such as LinkedIn to connect with people you have met at the event. Connecting with individuals online will give you a chance to enter further discussions and get into more detailed conversations.
Measure your Progress
A final tip for business networking is to track your progress throughout your networking journey. This means that you need to measure if you are achieving all of your networking objectives, and how much business you are generating through attending networking events. You want to be getting the maximum out of networking, so it’s vital that you measure your results and take steps to improve your strategy if you aren’t getting the right outcomes.
Searching for Cambridge Networking Events?
Here at The Bradfield Centre, we are a leading Tech Hub in the Cambridge region, providing first-class workspace options and a bustling business community. We run a number of Cambridge networking events that are perfect for building contacts, connections and creating long-term relationships. From in-person events to online networking events, there are a number of opportunities available for members to take part in.
If you would like to get in touch with The Bradfield Centre, and find out more about our Cambridge networking events, then please call us today on 0333 00 66 330. You can also email us at hello@mantlespace.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. To explore all of our workspaces and facilities - please visit our website today.