Networking for Business Success: Quick tips for busy people

The assumption that business people know, or can 'pick up', how to network is very far from the truth. Networking is a vital managerial competence, but very few people receive any training. When I am asked to run a training programme my brief is usually to focus on strategy, but the emphasis quickly shifts to improving soft skills. People buy from people. First they buy you; through you they buy trust, and finally they buy your product or service. If you don’t fully understand the concept of networking, are unfamiliar with the process, and uncomfortable in the environment then networking is not going to work for you until these barriers are removed.