Business Networking For Dummies

Grow your business, build your career, find more customers, and build a valuable support network of likeminded business people.

Networking is a crucial skill for all professionals and business owners. Quite simply, it’s a fast and effective way to build your business or career – and excellent networking skills will set you apart from the competition. Business Networking For Dummies shows you how to get the most out of networking – both online and offline.

With Business Networking For Dummies, you’ll learn to:

• Use business networking to grow and develop your business
• Find the right platform or platforms to build your own network and ‘assemble your crowd’
• Pitch yourself and your business with confidence
• Get the most out of face-to-face networking events – including valuable tips on presentation skills and sound bites!
• Join up your ‘real life’ and online networking
• Measure your networking success
• Follow up with new contacts successfully

“This is a cornerstone book for anyone involved in running a smaller business and wishing to deploy networking as an enquiry source. It is clear, concise and provides a complete education for succeeding in, what is for some, a difficult environment.”
Ben Kench, Leading UK sales trainer and business growth specialist

“I’ve read this entire book from start to finish and so should you because, when you know what you’re doing, business networking does work, and by following the blueprint that Stef has set down for you: first you’ll learn, then you’ll earn.”
Brad Burton, Managing Director, 4Networking Ltd.

Table of Contents

Part I: Getting Started with Business Networking
Chapter 1: Getting to Grips with Networking Basics
Chapter 2: Exploring Different Aspects of Networking
Chapter 3: Setting (Realistic) Expectations
Chapter 4: Making Use of Networking Organisations
Chapter 5: Networking at Trade Shows

Part II: Face-to-face Networking
Chapter 6: Attending Networking Meetings
Chapter 7: Making Connections in Open Networking
Chapter 8: Nailing the Introductions Round
Chapter 9: Handling One-to-Ones
Chapter 10: Breezing Through the Ten-Minute Speaker Slot
Chapter 11: Following Up

Part III: Networking Online and Using Social Media
Chapter 12: Networking Online
Chapter 13: Using Social Media to Keep Relationships Alive
Chapter 14: Networking Using Different Social Media Platforms
Chapter 15: Joining Up Your Online and Offline Networking

Part IV: Turbo-charging Your Networking
Chapter 16: Using Networking to Build Your Business
Chapter 17: Building Networking into Your Business Strategy

Part V: Measuring Your Success
Chapter 18: Networking or Notworking?
Chapter 19: Revisiting Your Approach

Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Improve Your Networking Results
Chapter 21: Ten Networking Gaffes to Avoid