Platte Networking Mistakes - 3 Tips for Success

Posted by Hession on June 30th, 2021

You can and should begin using networking in your business if it's a good fit, and it isn't for all business models.

Tyler T. Tysdal

Another smart tip is to keep your eyes and ears open all the time because opportunities present themselves at the most unexpected times. Of course, having that many opportunities open to you means that there is a lot of room open to make mistakes which is why you need to read this article. What you're about to discover are three evergreen tips for keeping the networking mistakes to an absolute minimum.

Knowing about anyone you have an appointment with is critical, and this is also networking. While you are not necessarily going to a networking event to schedule lunches, it happens so have an open mind. That is okay but it is not okay, however, to seek someone out, schedule a meeting and business broker podcasts then ask that person what they do to earn a living. Most businesses have a site on the web, and simply learning about the business from that medium will suffice. Unless you have a very clear reason for your business teaming up with another, you may want to restrict any overt invitations to lunch, etc. Make sure that you will be able to recognize the person you are meeting. This might be hard if you are meeting an online contact for the first time. This will be ever harder if the person never posts pictures online. Insist on getting a updated photo of the person you are meeting with. This will reduce your chances of making mistakes or of not noticing that person when you arrive at your meeting destination. On the flip side, you should give the person that you are meeting a recent photo of yourself too.

Do not blatantly use people, even if you would think this would be a given but it still needs to be said. Networking is about forming mutually beneficial relationships, and it is not about using people to help yourself get ahead no matter what the cost. Making a contact with someone so that you can use their network or their resources is rude - moreover, it is obvious. This is a business decision you have to make, and remember this is just marketing and just a clearly bad move. So, unless the other person offers to hook you up, don't even try to use someone to get yourself ahead.

You already know how to networking because you have been doing it all your life. The kinds of mistakes you can make are very similar to other social situations. Some people have chosen to specialize in this area, so they are the real experts, here.