Networking is an important skill one needs to master in the current business world. One might wonder whether networking still holds any importance in this era of social media. My opinion is that, social media will never take away the importance of traditional networking but rather compliments it. Social media has made it easy for people to get in contact but as we all know meeting someone in person brings out a lot more emotional connection that online chatting.

As professionals and entrepreneurs, the importance of networking cannot be over emphasized. They say, in communication 55% is body language while verbal communication is 45% only. In that regard however much social media might dominate our daily communications; physical meeting with colleagues, friends, and friends of friends helps us expand and deepen our ties and at the same time increases our probability of getting new business or employment opportunities.

I remember many years back after joining a rotary club in Dar es Salaam, we held a Rotary dinner to welcome the District Governor from Nairobi, who had come for a scheduled annual tour. During that dinner I got an opportunity to mingle with senior business executives I only used to read about in newspapers. To my surprise, although I was a bit young, they talked to me with a lot of respect and regarded me as their equal. That night I got a few contacts that have turned to be very useful till today and have resulted to even more important contacts.

Networking is a very powerful tool for marketing products, brands and yourself as professional. If you are an employee of a large organization like a Bank, Telecommunication, Insurance Company or any other corporation be it private or public, you should know that what you are doing is selling your expertise to your current employer. You will agree with me that best paying jobs are never advertised in newspapers but people get recruited through head hunting. Head hunting is a person to person business; it is people who know you who will recommend your name for the job. That is where networking becomes handy.

You should network with people who matter; People in the same profession as you or professionals in your industry. The best place to meet professional is during annual conferences or meetings involving stakeholders of the industry you are interested in. But also try as much as possible to attend corporate dinners and cocktails or any other corporate event that you might have access to.

If you are an entrepreneur, networking is even a more valuable tool to get your product or Brand known to targeted people. It is during networking events you will get to meet prospective clients and explain to them how your product can be a solution to their need or challenge. Face to face encounters help you to utilize your body language to send your message better at the same time quickly analyze how your prospect is reacting to your message.

Networking is an art that requires practice to master. If you want to be successful in life, you should acquire this important quality and utilize it effectively to your advantage. Some tips to assist you in your next networking event are;

• Get dressed as per dress code of the event; this will help you feel comfortable with yourself and not to look out of place, or like a gate crusher.
• Smile; a smile might be a simple thing it goes a long way. It makes people welcome you for a conversation. It makes you look likable and interesting.
• Shake hands properly with a firm hand well balanced not to cause weird feelings. A firm handshake sends a message that you are a confident and serious person.
• Eye contact; while in conversation with a person, retain eye contact with them in a manner that shown sincerity in what you are talking about.
• Clearly introduce your name and what you do and show interest in what the other person is telling you. When you ask about their activities they will also want to know yours and that is when your will deliver your well crafted message.
• Business cards are exchanged after a conversation and after showing interest for further communication and not at the beginning. Dishing out business cards without real connection to a person will not yield future connections.
• Speak slowly and confidently; this will make your message understood and taken seriously.
• As soon as your message is well understood and you have exchanged contacts for further communication, politely excuse yourself and move to another person. The intention is to effectively meet as many people as possible in that particular event.

As I said earlier, networking is an art that can be mastered through constant practice. Practice makes perfect. If you are an employee, please get out and network with people you have never met so as to increase possibilities of landing a better job. If you are an entrepreneur, you must understand that there is no more powerful way of marketing your product than face to face targeted marketing.

Success is a choice!!