Networking is an extremely beneficial business activity, but most people hate doing it. In fact, most people will do almost anything to avoid attending a networking event.

It often works like this. For one reason or another, you find yourself attending a networking event. When you walk in the door, you scan the room and realize that you don’t know anyone in the room. You look for the bar, thinking that a drink may be the best. You find something to drink and a place to stand. Eventually, someone walks by and you strike up a conversation. They exchange business cards and part ways. This may or may not repeat itself. At the end of the night, you might have a small stack of business cards that you toss on the corner of your desk. You wonder if anything will come of the event, and it soon fades from your memory.

He quickly learns that networking is a non-productive way to spend time and fights vigorously to avoid going elsewhere. And you are right. Networking that way is certainly a waste of time.

I know this is how it works because this is exactly how I started networking.

Why is networking important?

No individual can know all the answers, or be good at solving all problems, but a carefully constructed network of friends and associates can. A strong network of friends and business contacts can get you out of trouble when the going gets tough.

Your ability to succeed depends largely on the relationship you build with the key people in your life. Think about it a bit.

In business networking we consciously seek to assemble a network of people who can help us succeed in business. In real estate, for example, an agent may team up with other agents to help each other with open houses, listing searches, or closing sales. They may also partner with complementary businesses such as lending institutions, title companies, home inspection services, interior decorators, and many others that may be involved in home sales. Together, this group is much stronger than any single agent.

Types of networks:

Human beings are social by nature and are surrounded by a network of networks in our lives. Many of these overlap and some are contained within others. Here are some examples:

• The family network: our immediate and extended family and perhaps people who are not related to us but are still treated as family.
• Some of these people may also be in our social network.
• In our health network we would have our doctors, dentists, chiropractors, dietitians and anyone else who can contribute to our general well-being.
• In our commercial network, which overlaps with our financial network we have bankers, insurance agents and investment advisers.

For most of us, these networks grow spontaneously. The point of this article is that when we consciously design and build these networks for a specific purpose, they will work better for us.

Benefits for networking:

Here are some examples of the benefits you can get from networking.

• Genuine friendship: While friendship often results from social media (happy hour could be a great example), the people you meet at business networking events can also become close friends over time.
• Gathering new ideas and new perspectives: Whenever you are exposed to many people, you can’t help but their new ideas and views on business issues. If you keep an open mind and don’t rule out new thoughts, it can be a very mind-enlarging experience.
• New Job Opportunities – Many people only go online to find new job opportunities. After all, the best way to find new jobs is to meet someone at the company you’re interested in. But, as the title of Harvey McKay’s book says, you should”Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Don’t wait until you’re on the street to start networking. Networking doesn’t happen overnight.
• Business intelligence: A great way to find out what’s happening in your industry is to network at industry functions.
• Sales Leads – One of the main functions of networking is to generate sales leads. This happens slowly at first, since trust has not been established. But, before long, you can see your leads take off.
• Bartering: For network experts, bartering (direct exchange of goods or services) is a smart way to get rid of unused inventory or services. You can go through a formal barter service, for third-party exchanges, or simply deal directly with a trading partner.

The benefits of networking far outweigh the negatives. It just takes a little practice and understanding.