By Sarah Mehesy, Founder of Impressions Matter

Oftentimes, the thought of networking causes people to wince. They view it as a two-hour transactional event where people exchange their business cards, seeking to gain something from others. But what if there was a better way to network? One where you are looking to build intentional relationships for mutual benefit.

Networking

When you define networking as building mutually beneficial relationships, it changes the game. Networking becomes fun to do because you are focused on connecting with others instead of working with others for your own benefit. In my book, Building Intentional Relationships, published through Orison Publishers, I talk about how to do just that.

It explains how to network effectively and outlines five key goals you should have when networking.

Goal One

Your first goal should be to build relationships. Without this as your first goal, you won’t be successful in any of your other networking goals.

Goal Two

The second goal is to meet people you can do business with. You want to connect with the right people to do business with – those who are interested in your products or services. As you engage in conversations with people, you can gauge their level of interest. If they continue to ask you more specific questions to learn more about what you do, this might be a sign they are interested.

Goal Three

The third goal is to build a referral network. What this means is that once you have networked for a long enough time, you will find that business comes to you from people you don’t know, who were recommended to you.

Goal Four

Your fourth goal should be to gain new opportunities. This could involve finding people to do business with, or it could include other activities such as discovering new job opportunities.

Goal Five

The fifth goal you should have is to learn new things. Everyone in your network has a unique expertise to offer, allowing you to learn something new from every person you meet.

My experience of networking at the Lancaster Chamber inspired me to write this book.

When I started networking in my sophomore year of college, I visited numerous groups, but quickly learned that I needed to determine which ones were worth my time. Then, I attended my first event with the Lancaster Chamber called Get Connected. This is a speed networking event that allows you to meet many new people in just two hours. After attending the event, I joined the Chamber as a member.

I quickly prioritized the Lancaster Chamber events and stopped attending all the other events I had been going to because it was clear that the members prioritized building relationships first. The Lancaster Chamber added the most value for me because of how many consistent events they offer. They have networking, professional development, and advocacy events you can attend.

Through networking with the Lancaster Chamber, my business, Impressions Matter, which specializes in optimizing people’s LinkedIn profiles, has grown to work with 65 clients. Additionally, I was offered 20 different speaking opportunities through the many relationships I developed during my three years at the Chamber.

If you are interested in learning more about me and my book, feel free to attend my book launch party, which will take place on Tuesday, September 16th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Lancaster Chamber. If that works for you, RSVP here.

If that doesn’t work for your schedule, my book is also available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.

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