Let’s make 2022 the year for reconnecting. Victoria Coster, chief executive and founder of Credit Fix Solutions shares her tips for networking.
Getting back into networking is a really important part of our business and our industry. COVID has caused us to be wary of getting out and about and we have created the habit of staying at home and conducting business via Zoom. This may have caused some businesses and advisers to forget how important networking is.
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Our success as a company can be directly attributed to getting out there and talking to people. While I have worked hard to grow my network via LinkedIn, where I currently have in excess of 15,000 connections, there is nothing like being in the same room with someone.
There are a number of different avenues for networking. I was recently fortunate to attend the FBAA conference and awards held at Sea World on Friday, 11 March. The conference was the first time I had been to this sort of event since mid-2020. The opportunity to speak to hundreds of brokers was invaluable. Putting faces to names in the industry and being able to share what we do is at the core of creating new referral partners.
Talking to other brokers and suppliers gives you an insight into how they operate, is a source of growth and can lead to new job opportunities for you too. While some people may find attending a large-scale event daunting, this can be elevated by careful preparation.
- Know what you want to achieve out of an event.
- Prior to attending look up the companies that have stands and the speakers who are attending.
- Have a game plan.
- Review where the stands you wish to go to and have your questions pre-prepared.
- Have a 30-second pitch for your business ready to go.
A key part of the FBAA conference was the awards evening and the relaxed environment of awards is a great place to network.
Credit Fix Solutions was lucky enough to be recognised as “Industry Supplier of the Year 2021”. Being able to celebrate with hundreds of people is key to establishing new contacts and reconnecting with already established contacts.
Winning, entering, or simply attending an awards ceremony is also a talking point and can help develop rapport with other businesses, meet new connections and provide you with all-important content for social media posts.
These accolades also help with professional development and can help you build confidence in your business as well as provide yourself and team with a source of positive morale. Your business can also reap the benefits through added media exposure associated with winning or being a finalist.
Sitting down and taking the time to write submissions also helps review and reflect on where your business has been, where it is at and where it is heading.
Implementing a strategy of attending conferences, events and awards is an important one. It’s as simple as joining your local chamber if you don’t feel like stepping too far out of your comfort zone.
We’d love to see you at an event in 2022!
Victoria Coster is the founder and CEO of Credit Fix Solutions and author of the book from Zero to CEO – a guide to starting your own home business.
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