Every business hits a plateau. Whether it’s a stall in growth or a lack of fresh opportunities, the solution is often the same: new connections. In many cases, meeting someone new gives you that much-needed ‘Aha moment’ that leads to a breakthrough.
Networking can open doors that transform your business and mindset – but it isn’t always easy. From awkward intros to follow-up fatigue, the process can feel overwhelming. In this article, we’ll walk through common networking challenges and solutions, plus simple, effective strategies to build better business relationships – both online and offline.
Why networking matters more than ever
Networking isn’t just a lead-generation strategy. It offers far-reaching benefits for business owners:
- More leads: The obvious one! You’ll meet new people and likely finding many leads along the way.
- Identify weak spots: Meeting other business owners opens your eyes to areas you could improve in your business.
- New opportunities: Networking can lead to event invitations, and discovering partnerships, mentors, new members of staff, etc. These opportunities don’t arise as often if you’re not networking.
- Gain referrals: Even if a connection isn’t a suitable lead, they might know people that are.
- Build relationships: A thriving network is a competitive advantage and a safety blanket. It eases anxiety, knowing you have connections to reach out to when you need advice.
- It energises you: Networking can be a rewarding experience. Not only do you learn, you help others. It’s also a healthy reminder that no business owner has everything figured out.
Real-world networking challenges and solutions
As valuable as networking is, many business owners ignore it or give up too early. Let’s explore some of the most common networking challenges and solutions to help you overcome hesitation and build lasting relationships:
| Common networking challenges | Solution |
| I feel shy at networking events | It’s common to feel shy, but it tends to fade as networking becomes a habit – try meetings with fewer attendees to get comfortable first. |
| I can’t find events in my industry | Expanding how far you are willing to travel can help, or consider online events where distance isn’t an issue. |
| I enjoy networking but I struggle to follow up | Technology can help with this – try using a Client Relationship Manager (CRM) to help you. |
| I find rejection exhausting – it affects my confidence | This tends to ease with time. The irony is all business owners don’t like rejection, yet they often reject people. It’s nothing personal. Consider working with a business coach if it’s getting you down. |
| I don’t see how networking will help me achieve my goals | Revisit your business goals and compare them with the benefits at the top of this article – at a minimum, networking helps you secure leads. |
| I don’t have the time to maintain engagement | It might not take as long as you think – using CRM lists and AI writing assistance tools can be a fantastic help. |
How to network offline with confidence
- Attend diverse events: Not just ones related to your industry. Try hosting your own if you can’t find events you’d like. Meetups, Eventbrite, and Eventzilla are quick and convenient platforms for hosting offline and online events.
- Practise active listening: Meeting lots of people in a short space of time can feel overwhelming. It helps to slow down, listen, and enjoy the flow of the conversation.
- Prepare your elevator pitch: An elevator pitch that only shares what you do doesn’t help the conversation flow. Sharing what you do and how you do it, as well as giving a recent example, leads to more engaging conversations.
- Focus on giving first: If a connection shares a problem that you can solve, offer to help them. They could take you up on the offer and wish to return the favour.
- Be ready to exchange contact details: Business cards are the traditional method, but they’re easily lost. Digital business cards or connecting on LinkedIn by sharing your QR code are more efficient ways to exchange details.
Online networking tips for busy professionals
- Optimise your online presence: People might not feel comfortable referring you if your online presence is poor or non-existent. A clear, consistent online presence builds trust and does a lot of heavy lifting.
- Experiment with platforms: A big part of networking is establishing which social media channels work for you. Run a few experiments to ensure your efforts are going where they’re best received.
- Join groups and forums: Explore LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and Discord to find niche groups in your industry.
- Engage regularly: Like, comment, and engage with social media connections and attend their events. This is what builds relationships.
- Be genuine: Relationships grow when you’re authentic and helpful.
How to follow up and stay connected
Following up is an essential part of networking. Before analysing networking challenges and solutions too deeply, make sure you’re following up with contacts.
- Use a CRM: Add new contacts to your CRM immediately so you don’t forget them.
- Create tags and lists: Introduce tags so connections are easy to find when you want to reach out.
- Connect on social media: Search for contacts on professional social media channels. They might not appreciate being added on their personal channels.
- Set reminders: CRMs feature follow-up reminders so you can quickly follow up with multiple contacts. This saves you hours as manual follow-up gets tedious.
- Remember the rule of 3: Send relevant, personalised, and concise follow-up messages (never spam!).
Pro tip: Companies often miss calls from connections. A 24/7 call answering service ensures you never miss an opportunity again. A team of friendly receptionists can answer calls/live chats and manage appointment scheduling when you’re unavailable.
Measuring your networking success
- Evaluate your connections: Look back to see if you’re meeting valuable/relevant connections. If not, adjust your networking strategy.
- Review your data: Use social media tools to review engagement rates and audience growth. Use your CRM to track interactions, leads, referrals, etc.
- Check your follow-through: Assess whether you’re maintaining connections after making them. This could be a process issue, or you might be attending events that don’t align with your business.
Conclusion: Make networking your competitive edge
Networking challenges are real, but so are the solutions. With the right mindset and tools, you can build strong, lasting relationships that support your business growth. A thoughtful and organised approach to networking will help you succeed in an area that many business owners give up on too soon.
Book a free consultation to learn how AnswerConnect can help you capture every networking opportunity, even when you’re busy.
Quick takeaways:
- Networking isn’t just about leads; it’s about long-term growth and support.
- Common networking challenges and solutions include everything from follow-up struggles to time constraints.
- Online and offline networking both offer unique advantages.
- Tools like CRMs and AI support your follow-up and outreach.
- Measuring networking success helps refine your strategy over time.
