Do you network or socialise?

There is no doubt that business networking is a great tool for the development of face2face relationships for your business. The opportunity to communicate your message to a number of people who are there to also meet with like minded business people, only comes in this 'format'.

Be proactive

As a business networker, you'll access groups old and new with traditional and 'different' forms of structure yet no matter which group it is, there is that 'point' where you can be proactive and begin the process of making new contacts or move towards 'people you know' to strengthen existing relationships.

Finding that all important balance between being proactive and searching for new contacts versus strengthening relationships is a fine line and both carry equal weighting. However, if you are the type of person who only gravitates towards people you already know then there is an argument to support the fact that you could be deemed as 'socialising' not 'networking'.

Is socialising networking?

Before you start with the notion that socialising IS networking, which I agree whole heartedly, the important point that is to be stressed here is to find that balance between continually developing existing and creating new relationships.

For those who choose to adopt that balance, they will be the ones who 'grow' proactively, whilst others who choose to wait for referrals only (based on the strength of their relationships) will grow, but aren't 'in control' of their growth as they are 'reactive' to other people supplying information/leads to them.

Building NEW relationships and cementing existing ones

There is no 'right or wrong' way to network. It is about speaking to people, it is about building relationships and it defintely IS about building NEW relationships.

Next time you're at an event, commit to communicating with people you have not met before. You never know who you're going to meet, what they do and who they know and what that relationship 'might' bring.