Published in February 2013 Ottawa Chamber of Commerce newsletter

Why do people go to networking events? Because it works! We meet new acquaintances, obtain new leads and in time these new connections transform into lucrative opportunities. As these new connections introduce us to others, the cycle repeats itself and our networking success begins to compound.

There’s no mystery that business networking still remains one of the most valuable methods of building and strengthening our connections; however, still today, many people have yet to discover the true power of networking on social media channels.

Social networking mirrors the same activities as business networking with one exception: face-to-face communication comes later. While business networking is still, and will always remain, a vital method of business development, there are many benefits to social networking that can bring your business development activities to the next level.

One of the most successful social networks for business-to-business networking activities is LinkedIn. Here’s why:

Unlimited connections

When performing traditional networking, your time is limited to the duration of the event and there are only so many people you can meet. LinkedIn eliminates time restrictions, giving you the freedom to research, target, and connect with the connections that you want to make. By controlling the quality and quantity of connections you are able to make better use of your time and target the best opportunities.

Better targeted focus

At networking events it’s challenging to target the best leads. LinkedIn enables you to learn the goals, accomplishments and interests of a potential connection prior to initiating conversation. We all know people do business with who they like and trust, so knowing a little bit about them prior to an initial conversation creates an advantageous position.

Easier referrals

LinkedIn makes it easy to ask for targeted referrals. Not only does it show you who in your network is connected with the lead you’re targeting, but it only takes is a simple message to initiate the process. At networking events, gaining targeted referrals is nearly impossible due to time and availability constraints.

Don’t eliminate your traditional business networking activity. Amplify your success by leveraging LinkedIn and other social media channels; believe me, your competitors are. Don’t leave opportunities on the table, it’s only you who will pay the price.

Join the FREE webinar on “Growing Your Business with LinkedIn”. Thursday, March 7th 2013

Click Here to Register.
Brent Mondoux is the CEO of N-VisionIT Interactive.