What does "Networking" mean to you?

Originally Posted by Joe Closer None of us can live "on an island" and expect to succeed in sales, but I believe nourishing relationships happen more frequently in business to those who don't construct tactics or campaigns to develop them.

What kind of tactics or campaigns Joe?

Anyone else care to share what "networking" means to them?

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger What kind of tactics or campaigns Joe?

I'll provide an example of each.

Campaign Example: Providing membership opportunites to sales employees in networking groups, ie. Chamber of Commerce, trade associations, etc.

Tactic Example: Use of an "elevator speech" to various contacts made through such groups.

Whoops, JR, the preceding contributor gave some examples also. #1 is an example of campaign. #2, #3, and #4 are tactical.

Here is what was posted:

1. Set a goal - How many people in how much time
do you want to meet? 10 people in 20 minutes? What's
your goal for the event??

2. Match people together. Use the '3-M approach.
Meet others, Make conversation, Match them with
others in the room. (This allows you to accomplish
#1 above).

3. Take notes. Right on the back of their business
card they give you, that's where you place your notes.

4. Follow-up. Get organized with the names and
business cards you just collected. Within 48 hrs.,
make contact. Suggest a breakfast meeting
to get further acquainted.

Keith Rosen (The Executive Sales Coach) defined it this way and I agree: "Networking is the act of meeting new people, often in a social setting with the intention of interacting with them, exchanging ideas, and developing mutually rewarding relationships that would ultimately lead to creating new selling opportunities which would bring in additional business."