the future of networking
the future of networking
The Future of Networking
What used to be the province of Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs, networking has become ubiquitous. Anyone can network from anywhere, and there’s no need to pay dues at these clubs. Furthermore, networking used to be local with some access to larger retreats. Today, networking has many more options, and connecting with someone halfway around the world is just as simple as connecting with someone a few miles away thanks to Network Lead Exchange. Learn how this company has transformed networking and get ahead of the curve with them.
Networking is No Longer Limited to Geography
The biggest impediment to expanding your professional network used to be geography. Joining a local professional association such as a Rotary Club was critical to networking. This was the way to generate referrals and build your business using local connections. Word of mouth works locally, and that’s why many local businesses built solid reputations spanning decades. With the changing nature of business, these local relationships became less important. The internet made everything easily accessible, but for some reason networking didn’t advance beyond the person to person contacts through events and trade shows.
As geographic boundaries become less of an impediment for business, networking should do the same. The best types of networks cross geographic and cultural boundaries. This allows professionals to exchange leads regardless of their locations. Market penetration increases as well – if you can speak to people in other nearby areas that otherwise wouldn’t know about your business, how beneficial is that for your business? Now imagine having that connectivity worldwide – this is the beauty of ecommerce. However, networking needs to go the same route, and sticking to local events, regional and national trade shows is just not an efficient way to network.
This is where Network Lead Exchange makes a difference. Connecting with people regardless of geography is made easy with their tool. You can connect with people that have the same type of career as you, interests, and other characteristics. Instead of being constrained by where you are – something that would disproportionately affect people in rural areas – use Network Lead Exchange to build a network that doesn’t limit itself to where you are physically located.
Network Beyond Face to Face Events
Another constraint of networking is its only effective at face to face events. This is the brilliance of professional associations, clubs like the ones mentioned earlier, and trade shoes. Face to face interaction is still one of the best ways to build connections. First impressions are still gold in the business world. However, just because you lack a face to face interaction with a potential network connection doesn’t preclude you from developing networking contacts.
As the world evolves, the need for face to face networking events becomes less. That means you will need a solution helping you network without the face to face component. This is where Network Lead Exchange changes the game. Instead of requiring networking events to be at places where everyone comes together, Network Lead Exchange creates a platform for virtual networking events as well. You can connect with people at these events in a similar way that you would at face to face events. That said, Network Lead Exchange also does face to face events, including their monthly networking breakfast. The platform provides you opportunities to connect with people whichever way is most convenient and comfortable.
Managing Network Connections
Managing network connections used to be the province of the rolodex. Remember those? You’d flip through the rolodex and pull up the name and number of a contact for whichever business associate you needed to speak with. In this way, the rolodex was quite effective. Having everyone’s information in one place is always preferable to having things scattered. However, the world today doesn’t require a rolodex, everything is online, and managing relationships is different.
The biggest difference in managing network connections today is you are actually more connected. Email makes it easy to stay in touch with business associates – in fact, many associates you might not even have met yet are constant connections with email and messaging apps. This is where the future of networking is. There’s no need to collect business cards to have a network. When you are able to stay in touch with people just with a couple button clicks instead of blocking out time for phone calls and written correspondence, you are making being in touch that much easier.
Network Lead Exchange helps you manage this virtual rolodex. Instead of collecting business cards and having to thumb through them, the platform provided by Network Lead Exchange allows you to get in touch with your contacts right away. Dropping them messages is easy with the platform. The technology keeps you ahead of the curve, and the immediacy of responding helps you build credibility. In the past, managing your network meant setting aside valuable time. Now things are done with a simple tap or swipe on your phone. Your contacts will see what you’re up to in real time, and vice versa, instead of learning about things after the fact thanks to Network Lead Exchange.
Where Networking is Headed
Business is all about efficiency, networking is no different. Getting the most value out of your interactions with your network is a constant goal. One way this is enhanced with Network Lead Exchange is the referral program. Instead of simply referring someone and hoping for the best, Network Lead Exchange enables you to turn referrals into a commission. The commission encourages interaction within your network. Deeper connections are built when people are rewarded for passing along leads.
Network Lead Exchange is the future of networking. Through incentive-based referral programs and improving the ease of managing your network, there’s greater value for business leaders in building and maintaining their networks. Learn how you can get involved with the future of networking today.