Business Networking Course: Growing and Managing Your Business Relationship

To develop your career, qualifications and intelligence are not enough to get you there. Building a reputation from the earliest stages of your career through networking will provide you with a profile and resources for future use. You can never know too many people, every time you meet someone new; the number of people they know multiplies your access to potentially valuable new people. Better contacts give you access to new opportunities and clients.

The course will take you through some of the steps and activities to help you to become a consummate networker, and make a real difference to your reputation and your business. This highly-interactive and practical workshop will help participants develop the mindset, skillset and toolset to enable them to become successful networkers. They will discover how developing their contacts can help them and their company gain a competitive business edge. Successful networking is about taking a strategic approach rather than relying on chance. You need to be clear about your ultimate purpose and develop a structured plan for achieving it.

Successful networking is also about connecting with others and that means conversational skills are critical. How do you make engaging small talk and then transition to smart talk? Participants are reminded of the importance of asking engaging questions and using active listening techniques. How do you introduce yourself effectively and memorably?

Many people find it hard to work a room at a conference or networking event, so preparing effectively is essential to feeling and looking confident. Participants will also learn how to stay in touch with contacts and develop lasting, effective business relationships.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will:

• Know what networking is and how to avoid being the networker from hell
• Be able to introduce themselves effectively developing a hook and telling their story
• Know how to take a strategic approach to build and maintaining their network
• Understand how to enter a room with confidence and approach people they don't know
• Be able to follow up, develop the relationship and stay in touch over the longer term

Who should attend?

This practical course will provide you with the skills to build your confidence and enable you to network effectively. It is invaluable for anyone whose role involves meeting other people.