Witney Accountants – Smith Kennedy Ltd

You must have heard the phrase, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.

It doesn’t matter how talented or gifted you are, or how many amazing business ideas you have, if people do not know about your existence. It’s always been this way. You need to get people to know you and your business. You need to meet people. You need to network. Business Networking events are a great place to start.


Today, networking is about building honest and mutually beneficial relationships. Whether you are networking online or offline you will need to build rapport with people, whether they are your colleagues at work, or the plumber that fixes your water supply, or your neighbours, business associates or just a vendor. In fact when you first start networking, you need to build a rapport with everyone you see and meet.


It’s not difficult to build a rapport with people. You can start by acknowledging them. A simple gesture such as smiling, nodding and gesturing positively will help you start to build a genuine relationship with the people around you.


Then move on to a simple hello and see where the conversation takes you. The weather is always something us Brits like to talk about. Keep the conversation cheerful and light. Nobody wants to engage in a ‘weighty’ conversation right from the onset.


Another tip is that if you have had a bad start to your day, ensure you don’t infect others around you. Be positively assertive as nobody is attracted to conversation with a potential business contact if they appear down and morose.


I read this quote somewhere, ‘To create rapport, it is important to mirror, match and pace the person or persons with whom you are communicating.” In order to achieve this keep your sensory channels open. Listen, see and engage. Use creative and open ended questions when entering a dialogue and ensure that your body language reflects this approach.


Be outgoing and friendly. The secret to building rapport is to be seen to be helpful and interested. When asked, tell people about yourself and your goals. Use the 80/20 rule i.e. speak only 20% of the time and listen for 80% of the time. Too many people at networking functions spend their time talking about themselves and not listening to what the others have to say. Sometimes promotion is more effective when you listen.


Rapport is achieved when two people see each other’s point of view. Learn to appreciate those you are there to meet and try and be on the same wavelength. Be memorable not just visible. Highly memorable people develop rapport with almost every individual they meet.


Follow these simple steps to build rapport with people at networking events and remember that you are there to build quality relationships and connections that in time will translate into business opportunities.


Above all, have fun when you network!

For accountancy advice in Witney please contact local accountant Alan Kennedy of Smith Kennedy Ltd.

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