IDA Universal

May 2016

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I DA U N I V E R S A L M ay -J u n e 2 0 1 6 4 EDITOR'S NOTES Nancy Estes, MBA, CAE Executive Director/Editor I t's not what you know, but who you know" is a phrase that is thrown around a lot, and this phrase o en carries a gigantic amount of weight when starting a business. at said, when fi rst starting out, it's so easy to get in your own little business bubble – head down, eyes on the prize, focused on your work, tapping away behind your laptop. e next thing you realize, you've become this social hermit who hasn't had any real human interaction for a while, which is a one-way ticket to full-on crazy. "Yeah, but I connect with people on Facebook all the time. I live on Facebook. I'm constantly networking!" Sure, social media makes it a hell of a lot easier to connect with other entrepreneurs and with new clients/customers, and platforms, such as Facebook groups, can be incredibly powerful for forming new connections and getting you and your business out there. But REAL LIFE HUMAN INTERACTION (you know, the sort where you actually talk to people face to face, like at trade- shows) is ridiculously important and here is why: 1) Business doesn't exist in an online vacuum. We have to remember that for the majority of us, our business won't exist in an online vacuum. A business will require, at some point in its life, face to face interaction, whether this is with customers/clients, with suppliers/ stock lists, or with investors. For this reason, we need to get really good at interacting with people, discussing our business and our ideas and engaging with people who could help you or could become clients/customers. If we neglect real life commu- nication in the early days, we are depriving ourselves of the ability to strengthen our communication skills, skills which are pivotal for business growth later down the line. 2) We don't own/control our social media accounts. While online networking is a quick way to connect with a lot of people, solely relying on social media is like putting all your eggs in one basket. Networking and marketing your business should be a diverse strategy, one in which you utilize online and offl ine connections. To rely on social media for networking is a dangerous game. We don't know how it will develop. For all we know, Facebook could start charging for access to our network. Also, the algorithms that Facebook uses (basically a fancy way of saying what posts you will see in your news feed) have changed so that much of the content we post may not even reach our audience. We never really know who has seen our posts and who hasn't. Face to face networking, however, ensures that we get our message across. We control who our message reaches for the simple reason that they are in the room with us. We can choose how, when and where we connect with these people. We know that when we talk to them, they are listening. ( is is, of course, assuming they haven't zoned out mid-conversation, in which case, you can work on your networking skills.) 3) Face to face is more memorable. Who are you more likely to remember? Someone you chatted with briefl y online? OR someone who you had an in-depth conver- sation with at a networking event? No brainer. Online, everyone is fi ghting for each other's attention, and there is so much noise, it's o en impossible to make your business stand out and be heard. You could be in the same industry as someone else, but if you have connected with your audience in real life, you instantly move ahead of the competition. 4) It's not what you say, but how you say it. With many things, particu- larly when marketing your business, it's not what you say, but how you say it. Unless you are a pretty good writer who has mastered your business' print message and brand, emails/posts on Facebook or comments on Instagram can sometimes come across a little fl at. Sure, they may get the message across, but not in a way that face to face networking can. Real life connections are more dynamic and add depth. It's your voice, it's your expres- sions, it's your body language. All these things add to your business message and brand. 5) Face to face requires more eff ort. One reason why people get so reliant on networking online is that it's super easy. You can connect with people across the world, without making the eff ort to get dressed. But, for that same reason, online networking can be a bit haphazard. Because it's so easy, it's tempting to treat it without more thought or strategy. You send a few emails here, leave a few comments there and, perhaps, rarely discuss things in depth. Face To Face Networking - It's Still Important "

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