How to Find Your Vibe with networking and grow your connections

Networking is a great tool in the business owner toolkit. Meeting people face to face (in real life or online) is going to leave a memorable impact (in some form! 😉). But there are so many business owners who avoid networking like the plague!

The idea of rocking up to a group of people and trying to get them to buy from you is intimidating - I know cos that's what I thought I had to do when I first thought about starting networking. Thankfully, you don’t have to approach networking as a long sales pitch. Yes, absolutely talk about what you do as people can’t buy from, refer to or support you if they don’t know what you’ve got going on in your business, BUT you can be human too and create genuine connections. 

Networking, when you approach it in a way that works for you, can generate opportunities, clients and money and can even be fun. If you’re not sure how to make networking work for you, here are some ideas for how to find your vibe with it. 

Identify what your resistance to networking is and then work with it

Self-exploration is essential to growth as a business owner. It’s very difficult to make progress when you don’t know how you’re succeeding or what’s holding you back. Take the time to explore the reasons networking feels so icky to you. What don’t you like? What’s stopping you?

When you’ve identified your resistance to networking, you can work with it. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself to get rid of them. I find it more helpful to take an approach of curiosity and being mindful of your needs. 

Here are some journaling prompts to help you identify where your resistance to networking is:

What immediately comes up for you when you think about attending a networking event?  Consider thoughts, feelings, beliefs as well as any physical or emotional reactions

How are these reactions affecting how you view networking for your business?

How could networking help grow your business?

The dialogue technique is a really useful way to help overcome any anxiety or nerves about networking situations. I’ve written a blog on this one before if you’d like to read more on the dialogue technique. Essentially, you work through a hypothetical conversation (or two) in your journal so you can practice what you want to say and prepare yourself for possible responses. This helps you to feel more confident when walking into a networking scenario.

So, if sounding too salesy is a fear holding you back from networking, you could use the dialogue technique to work through ways to bring up your business in conversations that feel good to you. Or if you’re worried about not knowing how to start conversations that allow you to really get to know people, you could work through questions to ask your fellow networkers. Try using your journal as a practice run to build your confidence in networking and work through any stumbling blocks you’re worried about. 

Develop your networking routine

Once you’ve explored what it is about networking that makes you want to run for the hills, you’ll be much more informed going into networking events and can create a networking routine that sets you up for success.

What are the signs of a good networking group for you?

The networking groups you attend can make or break your networking experience, so be aware of what suits you. There are practicalities like timings, location and format, but most importantly, consider the vibe of the group and how supported you feel at events. 

Find the groups that work for you. There’s no point pushing yourself to attend an event that you honestly find painful. Feel free to try out the networking group I run with my business partner Colette, called Small Business Vibes. We aim to combine a fun environment for women to confidently talk about their business with other businesswomen, grow their support network and ultimately grow their businesses.

What preparation activities help you to get the most out of the event?

There are things you can do before attending a networking event that help you to feel more comfortable and confident. For example, you may want to hype yourself up by listening to feel-good music or reading through client testimonials.  I often pull into venue car parks with a 90's dance track blasting at full volume and singing at the top of my voice 🤣 (makes an impression at least!)

You might find it useful to practice what you’re going to say, running through your messaging or reading over the dialogue scripts in your journal. If you haven’t attended the networking event before, it can be nice to introduce yourself to the people leading the group and any attendees you think you might vibe with to have familiar names and faces. They’ll probably look out for you to make you feel welcome. 

What can you do after the event to continue to build relationships?

Of course, there is the standard adding people on various social media platforms but don't just add them and leave it at that. Doing something extra helps you to stand out and maintain relationships after the event. It could be something as simple as commenting on a recent post from someone you had a good conversation with or inviting someone to schedule a call with you to get to know them better. 

Remember it’s not just potential clients that are worth following up with. Maintain contact with people who could be a referral partner because you work in a similar area or with similar clients. You’re allowed to follow up with people who you just like too. Business friends have their own benefits and building a strong support group around you can make a huge difference when running a business on your own.

Developing your networking routine will probably take some experimentation as you figure out what works best for you. As long as you’re being honest with yourself, which involves both working with your resistance and engaging in opportunities to grow, you’ll find your way with networking.

Make sure you ENJOY networking and look forward to attending the meetings.  If you don't, they aren't the right group for you and probably a big, fat waste of time for you.

Be True To Yourself

As you can see, my approach when it comes to networking is understanding your networking needs and acting accordingly. That’s the crux of the coaching I provide to individual clients and inside my business coaching membership the Find Your Vibe Business Club. We work on ourselves so that we can do bigger and better things. Combining self-reflection and taking informed action is a powerful catalyst for amazing things.

The topic in Find Your Vibe Business Club in February is Networking and Connections. The daily journal prompts, guided journaling sessions and our conversations as a community will be themed around utilising networking your way and creating profitable connections for your business. Join the club in February to forge your own path for all things networking and building connections. This could be the year you crack networking!