How do business relationships become effective on a long-term basis?

If you are good at making contacts, you often have many advantages in the business environment. If the right people know your name (and can remember it), the chances increase that you will become the centre of a conversation, that your network will be expanded and that you will get new contacts or a new job as a result. 

Networking is the name given to the phenomenon that underlies those successful business relationships. However, it is not only essential to build up contacts, but also to maintain them. The driving force is common professional interests, sympathy and the talent to listen. In this article, we explain what exactly is important in networking, what you have to pay attention to and how you can build a successful and sustainable network.

Who should I network with?

A network is characterised by the fact that initial contacts lead to connections with the "contacts of contacts". These second- or third-degree contacts are particularly numerous when you network with people who already have a large and very intact network themselves. This makes it possible to get in touch with many different people in a short time. So networking with the right kind of people holds tremendous potential.

Who you network with is determined by the goal you are pursuing with your network. Are you looking for a (new) job? Do you want to get in touch with other experts in your field? Are you on the lookout for clients? If you have the goal firmly in mind, the first step is to look for people who have similar goals. Such people are not competition, but rather comrades-in-arms. Benefit from their experiences and mistakes and exchange information on potential employers, salary negotiations and recommendable events.

At the same time, it is also important to find people who have already reached where you want to go. Such contacts can function as mentors. They can serve with a wealth of experience and can provide insights into what to expect at your destination and what strengths, if any, you need to build on until then. 

Also, network with people who can "iron out" your weaknesses. For example, if you are a structure-oriented organisational talent, also approach people from the creative, innovation-driven direction. Because your network can only have real added value if it is diversely designed and functions in a complementary way.

Where does networking take place?

Networking has entered the online world at the latest through platforms like LinkedIn and Xing. But it is also possible to make and maintain contacts via the usual social networks such as Facebook or Instagram, depending on the type and goal of the network. So, if you have a meaningful and clear online profile on the given platforms, you'll have a clear advantage. If you also become active yourself, post content or comment the content of others, you also increase your visibility by engaging.

But you can and should also network offline. Whether at career fairs or alumni events at universities and colleges - there are numerous opportunities here that can be put to good use, especially for career starters.

Staying in touch with companies where you have worked in the past is often also worthwhile. Companies often organise so-called alumni meetings where you can stay in touch with different personalities from the same industry and maintain your existing network and possibly develop new business relationships. 

How do I shape the networking meeting successfully?   

Good preparation is considered the cornerstone of successful networking. You will not be able to avoid small talk, so make sure you are up to date on general topics (e.g. sports or socially relevant news). But more private topics such as holidays or the last book you read are also a good basis for building an initial connection in small talk. A conversation starter can also be the lecture recently given at the event attended.

Important during the conversation: Play "ping pong" with your counterpart in the conversation - each of your answers should also include a counter-question, ideally cleverly woven into the topic. In this way, you show interest in what your conversation partner has to say and at the same time convey that you are a good listener. 

Small talk and common ground thus lay the foundation for contact. This is where you create trust and sympathy. But for business connections, it is also essential that you can briefly and concisely explain who you are and what makes you tick. Think of the networking event as a situation that requires you to give a short elevator pitch about yourself in every new conversation.

Good networking thrives on giving (before taking)

The goal of a well-functioning professional network is the lively exchange of knowledge and interests as well as mutual assistance within one's own contacts.  In summary, the most important basic rules for successful networking are: 

• Set a goal: What do I specifically want to achieve with my network? The next step on my career ladder? Advance professionally? Broadening my professional horizons?
• Quality before quantity: The more the merrier? Not quite! The contacts in your network should match your goal.
• First give, then take: In networking, too, the saying goes: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. But to get a foothold as a networking newcomer, it is important not to expect anything in return at first.
• Keep at it: Contacts you make are only sustainable and rewarding if you stick with them. Networking online is essential in many cases (see big platforms like LinkedIn). But if you want a well-functioning network, face-to-face meetings are essential, for business contacts as well.