How good are you at networking?

How good are you at networking? What about building trust with other people? Would you let them into your core; of who you are as a person rather than a business owner?

Let’s face it, the only stuff other businesses need to know about us is what we do in business. Do people trust our brand? Do we offer customer care and satisfaction? How do we treat our staff? And so on. It’s easy for other businesspeople to investigate and find these things out.

But, can you truly connect with a brand without getting to know a bit about the personalities behind it?

Often at networking events, businesses are pushed into making referrals or be thrown out of the network. The focus is on quick results and not making real connections….

… which is a shame. Because taking the time to get to know someone, to build trust, to demonstrate reliability and integrity can take you and your business much further. Future successful and profitable collaborations and partnerships could be missed.

Sometimes we need to be prepared to let our guard down; to be vulnerable enough to share a little of ourselves and let others see parts of the real us. Think about it… do people know about our passion(s) outside of business?

Yes, some professional relationships fall apart at the first hurdle and trust can be broken, but lessons are learned which are invaluable to our personal growth. Lessons can empower us and make us stronger. It’s good to be wary at the start of any potential business relationship, but sometimes we need to just go for it – take the risks and reap the rewards, (or learn the lesson). Fortune favours the brave, after all.

Just as we can’t survive without human connection, neither can our businesses flourish without solid business connections. And business connections, while some just happen easily, are often forged through trial and error.