Networking: the single most powerful marketing tool

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According to Terry Southam, joint-MD of IT conference and exhibition producer Kinetic, successful networking hinges on physically being in the market, amongst your peers, mentors and industry leading experts.

And this is where industry-related networking events, trade shows and industry summit events create platforms for strategic interaction between leading industry role players. Southam says that these events act as a catalyst to meet and interact with decision makers while also broadening your skills set.

"A skill worth more than its weight in gold is networking," said Southam. "Ask any sales person, senior executive, and even politician, what they value most in their hunt for business success and they will tell you, without a doubt, that it is networking.

"It's about connecting and building relationships...There is no argument that networking offers the ultimate in business opportunities."

Mutually beneficial relationships

Industry leaders, life coaches and mentors have identified networking as the most productive and proficient business tactic to build mutually beneficial relationships. This is the rationale behind the development of Kinetic.

Success in IT is based on continually connecting with people, establishing and nurturing relationships and leveraging and expanding your network of contacts. Networking is the catalyst for success and relationships form the backbone in the achievement of business objectives.

Southam concludes that industry players, events management companies and its sponsors and partners, create the synergy required for the application of networking skills to meet the right people. With the constant bombardment of emails, ads, offers and sales pitches, networking events allow your business to rise above the rest and stand out from the cluttered noise created by traditional marketing methodologies.

Remember, it's not about whom you know, but, critically, about who knows you. Networking is, undoubtedly, one of the most powerful marketing tools in any industry.