5 Tips for startup networkers

As co-organizer of the Open Coffee networking events in Limburg I know lots of startup entrepreneurs, who also carefully put their first steps into the fierce networking world. I often notice they come unprepared and sometimes don't even know what networking is all about and what it can do for them.
Networking can be a strong backbone for their further career, if they build it up the right way and nurture it for the rest of their lives.

I have tried to compile my best 5 tips and advices for startup networkers :

1. Make sure you can introduce yourself in a professional way. Don't use jargon or difficult words. When people really understand your story, they will be able to remember it and even tell it to others.
2. Networking and selling are two different actions that shouldn't be mixed. When you are attending a networking event, your focus should be on meeting new interesting people. For this reason I advice you not to network with potential customers. It's more interesting to network with entrepreneurs who have the same kind of clients they can connect you with.
3. If your company is active in 3 or 4 provinces, you should not limit your networking activities to your own small village. Spread your networking activities over your entire work region.
4. Attending lots of different networking events just once will do nothing for your business. It's only when you visit the same groups again and again that people will really get to know and trust you. Relationships need time to build. When you have spend enough time building your credibility and reputation slowly the return for your business will become visible.
   A membership of a business club might do magic, because it ensures you will get to know a considerable group of people pretty well over a year.   
5. Don't make the mistake to network only within your industry. Build a broad and diverse network. When your professional network contains startups, freelancers, small businesses, midsize and large business, ... from all kinds of industries, your second degree network will be a nice sample of the total professional world.

And one more tip : Make sure you carry enough professional businesscards, even on your very first networking event. Even if you haven't started yet, you might register your own name as your domain and make sure you have a professional mailbox (e.g. info@geertconard.com)