Long gone are the days of picking up the phone and calling someone to discuss business. Today, our world is filled with emails, LinkedIn messages, and assistants taking our calls. What happened to the days of answering your own phone and striking up a conversation with someone while waiting in line for coffee? Technology happened. Don’t take this the wrong way. The advancements that have been made in technology have helped so many people thrive in their respective industries. However, iPhones and computer have taken away so much of the human interaction, especially in business. How can you help bring networking back to life?
Best of Both Worlds
As previously mentioned, technology has done wonders for all aspects of conducting business. Today, we can communicate faster than ever and receive a wealth of knowledge right at our fingertips. Although these tools can help us in many ways, the classic face-to-face interaction still holds the most personal touch. Finding ways to incorporate technology and personal connections is something we all should be doing. For example, connect with someone via LinkedIn, then message them and offer to take them for coffee. This gesture allows you to utilize technology to foster a personal collaboration. We connect with people on a social media level every day, why not make it a personal interaction!
Put Yourself Out There
You hear stories all the time about people getting discovered in the most obscure situations. If you are an entrepreneur, especially, selling yourself and your business should come as second nature. Strike up that conversation in line at the coffee shop in the morning, you never know who you could be talking too. As obvious as it sounds, never run out of business cards. As a parent, you could meet your next future investor while putting your kids on the bus for school. One of the greatest things about this world is the diversity it encompasses. You could be starting a tech company and the guy down the street might be a retired programmer for a major company. You just never know! Putting yourself out there rather than hiding behind your computer is guaranteed to give you the upper hand in any aspect of a business.
Networking has and will remain a major part of our professional endeavors. Although it may adapt and change throughout the years, one thing remains the same, a personal touch never hurts.