If you are an entrepreneur and want to make the most of your marketing budget, you have yourself: get NETWORKING
**Definition of networking:
**
- The literal translation of networking would be “working your network of contacts”.
- Being proactive and going to activities and events to grow your network of contacts and look for business opportunities.
- It is about building relationships with people in your professional circle who want to do business with you.
- It is generating visibility, making yourself known, becoming a point of reference so that your contacts recommend you.
- Connecting people with each other so they can do business; it is recommending professional contacts to other contacts.
**What advantages will it have for me as an entrepreneur?
**
- Quickly identifying the people with buying power, the “decision makers”, the ones who call the shots, the ones who will hire our services or buy from us.
- Reaching key people faster and more directly. A business angel, for example, right? Also partners, collaborators, superconnectors…
- Avoiding cold calling thanks to recommendations, with the resulting savings in time and money. So less investment in market prospecting; intuition no longer works.
- Better knowledge of the competition and, on our side, being able to test new products, services and ideas at no cost. Getting your first beta testers.
Starting point for professional networking
First, be clear about what you offer, both personally and as a company. Take the greatest care of your personal branding: you as an entrepreneur and your team are the image of your company, so look after your image and your communication, both online and offline.
Define your target audience and where to find it. You will have done this in your business plan or in the “business model canvas”, so you already know your value proposition and which segments you are targeting.
Information is power, so read and take part in blogs related to your business. Subscribe to newsletters on your areas of interest. Join LinkedIn groups or online forums where you can get information, ideas or business opportunities, and read the daily papers, the business press and specialist magazines to find out about upcoming conferences, seminars, award ceremonies and events of interest to you.
Gather all the information about trade fairs held in your city or country that you can attend as a visitor or even as an exhibitor.
Finally, join one or more chambers of commerce and professional associations so you can connect with people and companies related to your business. They are the perfect place to start networking and their cost is affordable.
Where to network?
Events are the perfect place to get the most out of networking, and there is no shortage of events for entrepreneurs. A few things to bear in mind before you leave the office:
- Find out who, or what kind of people, will be attending the event.
- Check the dress code, or ask someone before you go.
- Work out in advance what you want to achieve at the event and who you want to talk to.
- Think about how you want to introduce yourself (your elevator pitch): a powerful, original 30-second pitch so that people remember you.
Places to network: chambers of commerce: national, regional and foreign. Public bodies: consulates, embassies, city councils. Professional associations, clubs, professional bodies. Professional forums, trade fairs, conferences. Workshops, seminars and talks. Alumni associations. Sports clubs.
You can also create your own networking events, in your office or elsewhere, to make yourself known. Take care of every last detail, tell your network of contacts about them and make them visible, above all online.
Some interesting events for entrepreneurs.
Not all of them are in Madrid and Barcelona, so do some research on todostartups.com or Meetup to find out more.
Iniciador, First Tuesday, Thursday, Madrid Nightowls, Betabeers, The Appdate, Conversion Thursday, Beers&Blogs, Re-twittmad, Salón Mi Empresa, Campus Party, EBE, FICOD, Innosfera, Eats&twitts, Iweekend, Red Innova, Founder Friday, Start Up Weekend, Seed Rocket, Esade BAN, IE Venture Network, Keiretsu Forum, Foros madri+d, EO Network, etc…
Happy Networking!