Networking – everyone does it, so it must be simple, right? To put it briefly, not necessarily and it could take a bit of practice to do it well. Networking is essential for estate agents and is a great way to get your foot on the ladder if you want to start earning more commission, playing bingo and slot games on Barbadosbingo.com isn’t the only fun way to line your pockets! Some people tend to keep clear of networking because they think it makes they appeal overbearing or pushy, but this couldn’t be further from the trust and a lot of extremely successful estate agents swear by networking to meet new people and learn from others in the industry.
Professional networking events are a great place to start as they will provide you with the opportunity to meet new people to connect with both in your industry and from companies that you may want to work with in the future, creating a snow ball effect for your career.
Meet People Through Referrals
The best way to meet people is through mutual friends or through other people you both know as a recommendation. Especially if you’re a little apprehensive about going to a networking event, it could be a easier to go along with someone you know and let them lead the way and introduce you to new people or join in conversations and let it go from there.
Use Social Media as a First Stepping Stone
As you may have realised by now, social media is a fantastic way to harness new connections, especially through LinkedIn and Twitter. Best of all, this can be done in a more subtle way than at a networking event as it takes away the pressure of having a face to face interaction and takes away any awkwardness if you feel like you are a networking novice. This is a great starting point, but certainly not the end goal. Using social media as a first stepping stone is useful, but it should lead on to being able to make a conversation with your LinkedIn connections at events to help build on the connection and turn it into a positive working relationship.
Don’t Phis for a Job
If you are considering using networking as a way to find a new job, it’s important to approach it in the right manner so you don’t come across as pushy or too try hard. Focus on asking people information so that it puts you in a good stead to find a job rather than just asking for a job. The overarching aim of your networking should be to build relationships and establish connections with people so that it will open doors for your and your career in the future, not to just phish for a job.
Treat it as a Business Meeting
Although networking should be more relaxed and informal than a business meeting, it’s important to still treat it as a business meeting and keep in mind that time is money to a lot of people there and be wary not to take up too much of people’s time. Make sure you plan and be professional so that people see that you are credible and worth spending their time working on your professional relationship.