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Business Networking In The 21St Century For Men And Women
By admin | August 8, 2007
The U.S. may be in an economic recession; however, it does not mean that you cannot use your personal experience and business background to find a better paying job or additional job. Through online and offline networking, you can find your dream job or meet potential clients and customers to increase your business revenues.
Since the inception of the Internet, email and online groups, men and women have been able to communicate with more people from more places across the globe than once imaginable. Online social networking is exploding across the Internet as more employers and agencies are turning to social network sites to find potential employees and to check work references. Knowing the most popular social networks on the Web in addition to offline network groups can dramatically increase your chances of being connected to the right people or your next employer.
Networking does differ somewhat for men and women, but only in how each gender relates to the other. "Men define themselves through business or the type of work experience they have," says Patty Sadallah of the Redwood Sisterhood. "Whereas women define themselves through their personal relationships." How does this difference affect men and women’s networking roles?
Women will have to overcome some challenges in order to network offline with male colleagues and other potential business contacts that are dominated by men, according to an article published in The Cleveland Women’s Journal (Feb-Mar 2009).
Tips for Women to Successfully Network with Men
• Add a feminine touch when talking with men by asking about their personal interests, family and hobbies.
• Send thank you notes to those you met and networked with at social events and include a business card if you did not get a chance to give them one already. This adds a personal feminine touch and may garner you a future interview or phone call to discuss an opportunity.
• Ask questions or advice relevant to your business or position. Men like to be the expert on something and this tactic will validate that you find them trustworthy.
• Find allies with a male colleague or two who values your insight and expertise. Attend networking functions with this person, as he is more likely to include you in conversations and introduce you to other people.
Women and men should join both online and offline groups in order to grow their professional network. Through joining free online business networks, you not only grow your own network, but will also have an opportunity to promote your business, expertise and take part in discussions. Three of the most popular online business networks are Linked In, Fast Pitch Networking and Facebook. LinkedIn and Fast Pitch both have free and paid membership choices. By joining these three networks, you will be able to connect with more people and businesses than email alone.
Features of Top 3 Online Business Social Networks
1. LinkedIn has over 10,000 groups to join and to be an active participant through discussions, Q & A, upload press releases, articles, connect to corporate blogs and more.
2. Fast Pitch Networking also has many of the same features as Linked In, but it also has a weekly live chat for those who opt for the paid membership.
3. Facebook was once touted only for those who had an email ending in ‘.edu’; it added a business application in 2008 for all types of businesses to connect in addition to creating groups by its members. You can create more than one account by using a different email address at signup.
Looking for other online business networks? Anyone can find just what he or she is looking for through simple searches using your favorite search engine. Search for top business social networks, niche social networks, or insert your industry along with social networks or social media (manufacturing social networks). There is much to be read, discussed, and critiqued when researching online social networks and social media.
Scour your local and regional newspaper for events in your area either free or low cost to meet people and to look for job opportunities. Several business social networks offer in-person networking events in many cities across the country. Attend one and talk to other attendees about yourself, your current business/company, and offer a business card for future contact. Everyone who attends is looking to meet other people, so do not be afraid to introduce yourself.
Sources:
Sadallah, Patty. Redwood Sisterhood. 20 Feb. 2009. http://www.redwoodsisterhood.com
Lifshen, Marny. "How to Network Successfully in a Male Dominated Environment." The Cleveland Women’s Journal. West Edition. Feb-Mar 2009.
Watch the video related to business networking
www.4networking.biz is the fastest growing business networking group in the UK. Watch the video and see for yourself! Want a FREE online membership, head on over to www.4networking.biz
Help answer the question about business networking
I launched a business networking site what is an effective way to get allot of users at a low cost?I Just opened a business Networking Site wich is also a search engine to Find A Top professional www.FindATop.com My question is how do I get users on this site. Something big and effective to a large scale that is not costly.
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Topics: Networking | 10 Comments »
August 8th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Dr. Misner has been the visionary & brand leader for local, SMBs for decades. These 10 commandments are essential.
What tools might allow networkers to multiply the effectiveness of the time they spend meeting face-to-face with fellow business owners? How can they interconnect with each others’ networks to generate & track more referrals?
This would multiply the value of their chapter membership while validating their investment.
– - Tim
August 8th, 2007 at 9:52 am
You shouldn't be skeptical at all. What business is he going to show you? Networking businesses can be benefitial both finanically as well as personally. I've been in network marketing for years and it gives people a huge income opportunity. What most people don't understand is that it's a business, not a job. You have to build a business which takes some time, but the opportunity is incredible to be able to become wealthy as long as you follow a curtain pattern that each business has put together. Do not diviate from the ones that are successful and you will become successful. I came across a blog that will help you understand a lot of different things regarding these types of businesses. They're incredible. I suggest you go and listen to the opportunity and ask questions and see if it's something for you. There is no harm in that, it's not going to cost you anything to take a look, so what's the problem? If you want to do business with them, then do it, if you don't want to then just simply say no thank you. But at least take a look at the opportunity and see what type of business and what's involved. that's the best advice I can give you.
Here's a blog you can take a look at that will give you some information about your questions.
August 8th, 2007 at 10:20 am
LinkedIn is a very good one
August 8th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
join the local chamber of commerce
August 9th, 2007 at 4:15 am
August 9th, 2007 at 9:22 am
The most open one I have found is a new one called Rebja Business Network http://rebja.com
They have lots of small businesses and most of them are open to networking without creating a hierarchy.
The site is all business owners rather than employees of companies and they are extremely helpful.
Great site!
August 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
You can research some of the underlining statistics regarding the fact that most of the people who play golf are businesspeople. Checkout some national golfing magazines for some inspiration.
All the best to you.
August 10th, 2007 at 8:30 am
chamber of commerce would be my first choice because they are closely related to your local area. unless ur in an online business than may be you'd want to look at something else
August 10th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Hi Jon,
The list is fairly long, but here are a few starting points.
Get connected with other folks at http://www.linkedin.com and also consider searching on "business communities" for others.
Consider getting involved with Business Forums and raise the awareness there about your website.
Consider writing articles about business communities and other topics that will show you are an expert on this topic. These can then be distributed through article submission websites.
Consider writing a news release and distribute it through the Internent news network with sites like http://www.prweb.com or http://www.prleap.com.
This merely a starting point and it will require time and manual labor to get through this. There really isn't a single quick fix solution as you are competing against other social communities.
Good luck.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Yellow pages are the right place to search for.