Nurses know all about long hours and hard work. But when it comes to building a business or focusing on a side hustle, do we fully understand the benefits of networking?
There are 4 things to do when optimizing your time and money while networking to build business related relationships.
First Things First, Why Is Networking Important.
Networking allows professionals like nurses to become more engaged and involved in industry related change and progress. Networking events allow like-minded individuals with the same ambitions and failures, to gain insights into how industries are changing. The most important advantage of building a professional network is the opportunities it can bring for career advancement.
For beginners, it’s best to start networking at local events related to your preferred industry. Joining local committees and programs can help to advance your business or career. By attending conferences related to their business industry, nurses have the chance to break away from the everyday stress of work and mingle with other entrepreneurs, companies and innovators.
How To Optimize My Investment Of Time And Money
Optimizing your investments of time, money and energy could be as simple as following these 4 important steps. However, before we begin, ask yourself this.
What if I planned my networking into my regular work hours? What if I attended events with my business mindset from the jump?
Follow These Steps 4 Important Networking Tips:
1. Commit and Prepare
Committing to a networking event involves rsvp’s, then sponsor research, researching guest speakers, checking out the venue, and next setting a goal. Your goal for your network event can range from specific business objectives such as filling a much-needed position in your business to finding the best advice on an issue like office real estate.
Also, knowing as much as you can about the companies attending makes it easier for you to converse with those attending.
2. Card Collecting and Digital Portfolios
We are all guilty of receiving tons of business cards and misplacing them or just tossing them to the side. However, in today’s times, digital portfolios have been on the rise. When it comes to networking and building business relationships having a digital portfolio really helps to give off that professional look. Still, there is nothing wrong with that additional business card. Get in the habit of collecting business cards over giving them.
Having their business card places you in control of following up. Just be sure to actually follow up.
3. Understand That Follow-Up Is Key
This follow-up plan should be a plan that is applicable and simple to follow through. It should be able to be replicated it over and over even after the networking event is over. And with this follow-up plan consider things like connecting via social media, email campaigns, sending physical flyers or cards and even customer relationship text messages.
4. Practice Your Elevator Pitch
Networking is an important aspect of building a business as it leads to new business-related opportunities and relationships. Practicing your elevator pitch beforehand can be a crucial element of your networking approach.
Introduce yourself and explain what it is you do and who you are attending the event with or four. These are questions that will be asked repeatedly during the event, so rehearsing them ahead of time in your head can help prepare you.
Build A Networking Strategy
It is good practice to look at networking like work-related scheduled time. Most individuals normally go to networking events only when they fit into their already packed schedule. This can result in spending valuable time socializing and walking away with no results. Take the time to build a strategy to your networking. Use these top 4 things nurses can do to get the most out of networking and let us know how they have worked for you.