Building Friendships for Business Success

There are no rules dictating that networking must be stiff and formal. It doesn’t have to be an awkward exchange of business cards, either. The Universal Events approach to networking is more about friendship-building. It involves a basic framework.

Part of the process is to establish a purpose. Before we attend a social event, we determine what we want to achieve. Sometimes we hope to recruit new talent, for instance, and other times we hope to identify potential coaches. Putting these goals in place gives us direction.

We are also committed to some level of comfort. Although we’re happy to take risks and try new things, when it comes to making connections we want to feel as confident as possible. Focusing on small gatherings instead of massively attended events is one of the ways we do so.

Connecting ahead of time is another Universal Events networking strategy. We locate RSVP lists and information on the people who will be speaking at and hosting the professional gatherings. Then we look them up on platforms like LinkedIn. By reaching out and introducing ourselves, we have reference points to use when presenting ourselves in person.

When we take these steps, fostering relationships is easy and enjoyable. Like Universal Events on Twitter for more information about networking, and to find out which functions we’re attending next. We’ll see you there!