Face to face meetings are more important than ever - because of the Internet. We don't make true connections using a keyboard. We need to shake hands, look into someone's eyes and feel their presence to make a lasting connection that means something for our business and social lives. Handwritten notes also make more of an impression than ever before because sending an email is so easy and doesn't require much effort. We as human beings want true connection and to be made feel important.
Face to face is still integral and I believe the best way to form long lasting connections that have a much higher percentage of receiving referrals. When you can make that one on one connection face to face, you will feel much more comfortable referring business to that person and vice versa.
The old adage of "know, like and trust" are hard to establish and build exclusively online. How well do you really know someone by reading their profile or exchanging an email or two?
I had one guy that I attempted to connect with on LinkedIn. He sent a note back that he wouldn't accept a connection request without meeting in person or through a phone conversation. (Honestly, I was taken back!)
However, his reasoning was simple. He felt that if he couldn't offer anything of value to the connection, there wasn't a point to connect. After we connected by phone (I was out of state), he told me he didn't need "numbers of connections." He wanted people he would know, and be able to build on the relationship.
Taking your networking off-line will help build the relationships into possible referrals to you and from you. You may become the "go-to person" that appears to know everyone when you give good referrals that leads to closed business.
To a degree, I've taken that strategy to heart. I have to ask myself, What can I bring to the table to add value to the connection's life or business?
I believe that No Matter how "techy" we get, one thing Never Goes out of Style and that's people's Desire to know "WHO" they are doing business with. In order for me to like and trust a person I have to know who you are. In my experience that is still the case with many people especially if they are going to spend money with you. Now there are some people who don't want to connect with anyone and these people who don't want to build relationships will only have short term success. In my over 25 years of doing business, the people who I am still in business with today are those I have established a personal relationship with. If people just slip into your business or just pop in and buy your service or product with no interaction with you: it's just as easy for them to slip away as easy as it was for them to connect with you in the first place. I know that people want a connection because in doing videos for years, it has been a Huge part of me connecting to hundreds if not thousands of people. People want to know YOU and WHO you are to establish a business relationship that will last. So even in the Social Networking age, I find Serious Entrepreneurs still want to connect with people personally to have Real Business Relationships that will stand the test of time in my opinion.
This all depends on who your perfect customer is. I work with clients that never see a customer and others that are always going to networking events to meet people. Where will you find your perfect client? Do they go to networking events?
I personally use social media, digital and video marketing for out of area clients and networking for local clients. 50% of my business comes from networking groups.
Network Marketing has been my passion all my life. Whether in a conventional business or an online business, communication is the key to your success. I personally love to connect with like-minded people and am happy to share what I do with them. If I can in some way help people to live lives that contribute to their wellbeing and happiness, I feel I have accomplished my aim in life!
Business from Dublin, CA
Answered on Dec 17th, 2018
Networking is not just face-to-face, but connecting to others of similar beliefs. And because of that the Internet is another "Networking" method - with farther reaching significances.
Face-to-face is still the number one means to achieve KLT - Know, Like, Trust.
Networking is not "going out of style", but it is undergoing a transformation.
I do disagree. I am a longtime member of BNI (Business Networking International) and it has proven to me that face to face relationship building is key to a long term referral base. There is a level of trust and understanding of my particular set of skills that does not translate as well on the web.
While I have many good friends I've never met face to face, there is a fair amount of business that comes from those (or is referred to me from those) I have met in person. I attend a lot of podcasting events to meet people, find out what their struggles are (to enable me to make a better product). So I wouldn't say networking is going away. In the same way that the VCR didn't kill the movie business (same act - storytelling - different medium). I think networking online is still networking, but not as personal (and in some cases) or effective. To me when I can tell you the eye color of my target audience, I'm getting somewhere.
I kinda agree, since I have been doing online Networking for over 5 years now. I also run an Online Community for International Entrepreneurs and obviously, we do it all online. However, it's still nice to meet people in real life and get out of my / our comfort zone(s) and actually talk to people face to face and tell them about yourself, your business and network in real life!
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Answers (1-10)
Face to face meetings are more important than ever - because of the Internet. We don't make true connections using a keyboard. We need to shake hands, look into someone's eyes and feel their presence to make a lasting connection that means something for our business and social lives. Handwritten notes also make more of an impression than ever before because sending an email is so easy and doesn't require much effort. We as human beings want true connection and to be made feel important.
Face to face is still integral and I believe the best way to form long lasting connections that have a much higher percentage of receiving referrals. When you can make that one on one connection face to face, you will feel much more comfortable referring business to that person and vice versa.
Disagree.
The old adage of "know, like and trust" are hard to establish and build exclusively online. How well do you really know someone by reading their profile or exchanging an email or two?
I had one guy that I attempted to connect with on LinkedIn. He sent a note back that he wouldn't accept a connection request without meeting in person or through a phone conversation. (Honestly, I was taken back!)
However, his reasoning was simple. He felt that if he couldn't offer anything of value to the connection, there wasn't a point to connect. After we connected by phone (I was out of state), he told me he didn't need "numbers of connections." He wanted people he would know, and be able to build on the relationship.
Taking your networking off-line will help build the relationships into possible referrals to you and from you. You may become the "go-to person" that appears to know everyone when you give good referrals that leads to closed business.
To a degree, I've taken that strategy to heart. I have to ask myself, What can I bring to the table to add value to the connection's life or business?
Cheers,
Todd
I believe that No Matter how "techy" we get, one thing Never Goes out of Style and that's people's Desire to know "WHO" they are doing business with. In order for me to like and trust a person I have to know who you are. In my experience that is still the case with many people especially if they are going to spend money with you. Now there are some people who don't want to connect with anyone and these people who don't want to build relationships will only have short term success. In my over 25 years of doing business, the people who I am still in business with today are those I have established a personal relationship with. If people just slip into your business or just pop in and buy your service or product with no interaction with you: it's just as easy for them to slip away as easy as it was for them to connect with you in the first place. I know that people want a connection because in doing videos for years, it has been a Huge part of me connecting to hundreds if not thousands of people. People want to know YOU and WHO you are to establish a business relationship that will last. So even in the Social Networking age, I find Serious Entrepreneurs still want to connect with people personally to have Real Business Relationships that will stand the test of time in my opinion.
This all depends on who your perfect customer is. I work with clients that never see a customer and others that are always going to networking events to meet people. Where will you find your perfect client? Do they go to networking events?
I personally use social media, digital and video marketing for out of area clients and networking for local clients. 50% of my business comes from networking groups.
Network Marketing has been my passion all my life. Whether in a conventional business or an online business, communication is the key to your success. I personally love to connect with like-minded people and am happy to share what I do with them. If I can in some way help people to live lives that contribute to their wellbeing and happiness, I feel I have accomplished my aim in life!
Networking is not just face-to-face, but connecting to others of similar beliefs. And because of that the Internet is another "Networking" method - with farther reaching significances.
Face-to-face is still the number one means to achieve KLT - Know, Like, Trust.
Networking is not "going out of style", but it is undergoing a transformation.
I do disagree. I am a longtime member of BNI (Business Networking International) and it has proven to me that face to face relationship building is key to a long term referral base. There is a level of trust and understanding of my particular set of skills that does not translate as well on the web.
While I have many good friends I've never met face to face, there is a fair amount of business that comes from those (or is referred to me from those) I have met in person. I attend a lot of podcasting events to meet people, find out what their struggles are (to enable me to make a better product). So I wouldn't say networking is going away. In the same way that the VCR didn't kill the movie business (same act - storytelling - different medium). I think networking online is still networking, but not as personal (and in some cases) or effective. To me when I can tell you the eye color of my target audience, I'm getting somewhere.
I kinda agree, since I have been doing online Networking for over 5 years now. I also run an Online Community for International Entrepreneurs and obviously, we do it all online. However, it's still nice to meet people in real life and get out of my / our comfort zone(s) and actually talk to people face to face and tell them about yourself, your business and network in real life!