Small Business Marketing Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Building a Far-Reaching Network

Networking isn’t about meeting people. It’s about establishing connections with people who are likely to become customers, suppliers, associates, or proponents of your business. It’s about collecting contact information and following up to build meaningful business relationships. It’s about

Introducing yourself and your business and making great first impressions on those with whom you aim to do business.

Learning your prospective customers’ interests and business concerns.

Learning the problems they want solved or needs they want addressed.

Establishing common interests.

Forging connections that lead to business relationships and referrals.

In person, networking is less about handing out business cards than handing your business cards to targeted prospects and getting their contact information in return. Online, networking is less about adding people to your circles or pages than getting others to add you to theirs. To succeed, you want to

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