Take the “Work” out of Networking

by Dave Waggoner, MA, LA, LMT

Networking is the process of establishing, building and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships with other business professionals. It’s a social activity most of us do every day as we exchange information with others. It’s also an important, invaluable and essential activity for every professional. If you’re not building professional relationships right now, it’s likely that you are curtailing your future prospects, which ultimately deflates your bottom line.

While the concept of networking has been around the block a few times, we in the spa and beauty industry are known for our fresh and innovative outlook on business practices. Let’s take another collective and creative look at the awesome potential these opportunities can offer.

Running a successful business used to be dependent on what you knew. Then, whom you knew became important. In today’s economy, it’s far more critical to what extent you know someone. So, it’s not what you know or whom you know, but how well you know them that really determines the outcome of your business relationships.

Getting started
As you begin to network with your peers, it’s paramount to infuse your thoughts with ideas of building relationships founded on cooperation, rather than competition. Your mindset should be centered on fellowship and sharing. It’s when we share our passion and life’s work that we truly shine. Growth follows.

No matter whether you are an experienced therapist or new to the profession, there is always something to learn from others. The inveterate MTs have been around awhile and have the voice of experience to offer. Those new to the industry can sometimes be a source of fresh ideas. It also gives you a great way to keep yourself current with the latest developments in our field. By networking with peers, we can all work together to increase the exposure of our trade, therefore, increasing the visibility of each individual member’s business. In other words, by networking together we build the industry as a whole.

As you consider joining or developing a networking group, keep in mind that groups can be as varied as the professional products we use to provide treatments. Groups meet weekly, biweekly, monthly or even yearly. Some restrict membership to various levels of licensing or credentialing. Fees for membership range from thousands of dollars per year to a nominal fee.

But what about taking the ‘work’ out of ‘networking’? If you’re like most people, you may be uncomfortable walking into a roomful of strangers. Learning to mingle and making a speech is more frightening than death to most people. Business is about relationship building—with customers, suppliers and other businesses—and networking is your key relationship-building tool. Establishing yourself at business events can help boost your confidence as well as your business. Following these simple steps will make your networking experience smoother.

Before attending an event:

While attending the event:

To sum it all up, being a member of an industry-specific business organization is a great way to contribute to the growth of our industry and gather ideas and support to make your business successful. Networking is an important activity that anyone and everyone should practice. Explore your potential; make a date with yourself to attend your next local meeting. Or if you don’t have a local organization, start one today. A good place to start is by typing the words “business networking” into a search engine on the Web. Happy networking.