Business Networking For Dummies

by Stefan Thomas

Grow your business, build your career, find more customers, and build a valuable support network of likeminded business people. Networking is a crucial skill for all professionals and business owners. Quite simply, it’s a fast and effective way to build your business or career - and excellent networking skills will set you apart from the competition.  Business Networking For Dummies  shows you how to get the most out of networking - both online and offline. With  Business Networking For Dummies,  you’ll learn to: “This is a cornerstone book for anyone involved in running a smaller business and wishing to deploy networking as an enquiry source. It is clear, concise and provides a complete education for succeeding in, what is for some, a difficult environment."
Ben Kench, Leading UK sales trainer and business growth specialist "I’ve read this entire book from start to finish and so should you because, when you know what you’re doing, business networking does work, and by following the blueprint that Stef has set down for you: first you’ll learn, then you’ll earn. ”
Brad Burton, Managing Director, 4Networking Ltd.

Genres: Business

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Briandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good basic book for networking and how to get out into the world through one to one meetings and social networks. Networking events can help establish a business or ramp up sales and make connections. Today's world of business is much different than in days gone by. The number of opportunities is staggering. Having a strategy to leverage all these connections is imperative. This book not only helps with presentations it help put into place a networking strategy so that you can capitalize on the connections you make at networking events and online networks. It's no longer about sales. Business is about building personal relationships with your customers and clients.

[Kostas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guide to business networking. For someone for whom the term used to be associated with dread and fake handshaking, it is refreshing to read a take which makes it look compelling and beneficial. Especially interesting for those who own a business which sells ‘non obvious’ products and services.

[Candy Einshel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! For Dummies series never disappoints. I would have liked more information about the "how-to" follow up. How often to contact someone by mail, phone, etc. I know that some entrepreneurs have their daily, weekly, and monthly system, but I still can't find information about it.

[Teckera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to learn how to network in various circumstances for various businesses. Great tool to help you learn more about business. It is well written with a pleasant flow and sometimes a sense of humor.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic advice for those interested in networking.

[David Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read to research this post was Business Networking For Dummies by Stefan Thomas which is a very good book which I bought on kindle. This book is about the kind of networking that is giving talks as well as doing it online mostly via social media. This book has lots of advice and ideas on getting opportunities to promote your business, and also helps you develop your presentation style. One thing it suggests is finding people in different fields via may be classified ads as well as word of mouth that you can pass on recommendations for them doing jobs in exchange for them doing the same for you. If you are doing online promotion at the very least you need to join Twitter, Facebook, Google + & Linkedin. You in particular need to find people in your locality and or similar profession and contact them. With people in your locality he suggests having a cup of coffee with them and you don't necessarily need to expect an immediate sale. You may need to build a relationship first and even if they don't buy anything they might give you a referral. There is a free business forum at www.4networking.biz/forum where business people can talk to each other and bear in mind to really grow your business you may need to give free advice and a lot of people rather than do it themselves will pay you to do it. You will also get regarded as an expert in your field. Another fairly recent phenomenon is speed business networking which works similar to speed dating in that you get 1 minute with each person to talk to them and can maybe exchange business cards before moving on to someone else. There is also business networking where you can give a talk to an audience. Often they all have a meal and he warns doing use slides if it is only a short presentation as it is likely be distracting and if the computer decides to act up it can ruin any chance of doing your presentation. This is an interesting book and I found the advice and suggestions quite exciting and certainly I intend to implement some of them.

[David Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good basic book for networking. It gives good insight into the nuts and bolt of making a networking plan and how to implement it both in person and online. The best thing I got out of the book was not the info itself but the idea that you need a plan to implement all the little details of networking. It is a long process and should be followed with a purpose. What do you want this networking to accomplish? Answer that question and you will have a good start to a better networking program.