Networking Strategy: Why are you Networking? (and more questions to ask yourself)

Why are you networking?

Start by asking yourself why are you networking? Interestingly when we carried out this exercise recently, the majority of people in the group were networking to meet new people, build relationships and to do business development. However, it was a much small percentage of people who stated that business development was the reason why they were networking (although this did remain a goal).

What are you looking to achieve/get out of networking?

Moving beyond the simple question of why are your networking, think about what you are looking to achieve and get out of your networking activities. This might be on a personal level (such as training and skills development). Alternatively, it might be social or business orientated such as meeting new people and building relationships.

What are your biggest fears about networking or what do you worry about?

What are your biggest fears of networking? What would you like to work on, to overcome those fears or to make networking more enjoyable? You might be nervous about turning up on your own and breaking into the conversation. It might be getting out of the conversation etc. Whatever it is, write it down so you can then identify how you are going to overcome it.

What goals do you have?

Finally, ask yourself what goals you have for your networking. It is always important to review and revisit your goals to make sure that they are SMART and are working for you.