{"id":266697,"date":"2025-11-26T10:36:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T11:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/?p=266697"},"modified":"2025-11-27T05:05:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T05:05:26","slug":"unlocking-business-success-the-case-for-in-person-networking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/builder\/unlocking-business-success-the-case-for-in-person-networking\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlocking business success: The case for in-person networking"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post<\/a> was originally published on this site<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>\n

In the words of business magnate, Richard Branson, \u201cSuccess in business is all about making <\/span>connections\u201d. While this remains inherently true, networking behaviours \u2013 like what draws <\/span>people to in-person events, how they prefer to connect, and which formats foster the strongest <\/span>engagement \u2013 continue to evolve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, business owners are networking with purpose \u2013 not just for handshakes, but for insights <\/span>and innovation. This is according to the 2025 trends report by Freeman, a global leader in <\/span>events, which reveals 61% of respondents network primarily to learn something new, while 58% <\/span>do so to exchange ideas and 54%, to identify collaboration opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparation is your secret weapon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walking into a networking event without preparation is a bit like pitching to an investor without a <\/span>business plan \u2013 you might get lucky, but the odds aren\u2019t in your favour. The entrepreneurs who <\/span>consistently gain value from networking are the ones who take a strategic approach. They do <\/span>their research, set objectives, and approach every conversation with intent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are five practical steps drawn from the Freeman report\u2019s findings to help you prepare and <\/span>network with purpose:<\/span><\/p>\n

Step one: Do your homework<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before a networking event, research who\u2019s attending, which experts will be there, and what <\/span>topics will be discussed. In the report, 43% of respondents said knowing which industry leaders <\/span>would be present helped them connect more effectively, while 40% value being able to connect <\/span>with targeted attendees in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step two: Arrive with purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think about what you hope to gain from the experience, whether it\u2019s learning about emerging <\/span>trends, exploring partnerships, or finding solutions to shared challenges. Set specific goals for <\/span>the conversations you want to have and who you\u2019d like to have them with.<\/span><\/p>\n

The strongest networks are built when people connect around shared goals and relevant topics. <\/span>In fact, 51% of respondents prefer industry-specific discussions, while nearly half (49%) believe <\/span>that prompts related to industry challenges make networking more valuable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step three: Listen more than you sell<\/strong><\/p>\n

Relationship-building starts with listening. The report found that 40% of respondents identified <\/span>active listening as a key skill for effective networking. Conversely, one in three people said <\/span>networking often feels \u201ctoo salesy,\u201d suggesting that old-school elevator pitches and aggressive <\/span>selling tactics are turning people off.<\/span><\/p>\n

This tells us that the most effective connectors are those who focus first on building <\/span>relationships, not on making sales. So be sure to ask open-ended questions and show genuine <\/span>curiosity about others\u2019 work when attending events.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step four: Sharpen your soft skills<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strong interpersonal skills are everything when it comes to networking, so it\u2019s worth practising <\/span>conversational techniques that show interest and engagement. When asked what would <\/span>improve their ability to connect at in-person events, 51% of respondents said remembering <\/span>names and details would help, while 40% highlighted active listening as essential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step five: Follow up thoughtfully<\/strong><\/p>\n

The real value of networking happens after the event. Reach out, share an article, or suggest a <\/span>coffee meeting, but make sure you personalise your approach. More than a third (34%) of <\/span>respondents say that personalisation makes networking more effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an era where digital connections often outnumber face-to-face interactions, purposeful <\/span>networking offers a rare opportunity to connect with people in meaningful ways. Every <\/span>introduction could be a future client, mentor, or partner \u2013 and every conversation an opportunity <\/span>to learn, collaborate, or innovate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeremy Lang is the managing director at Business Partners Limited.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jeremy Lang, Managing Director at Business Partners Limited<\/em><\/p>\n

*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or <\/span>IOL<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

BUSINESS REPORT<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the words of business magnate, Richard Branson, \u201cSuccess in business is all about making\u00a0connections\u201d. While this remains inherently true, networking behaviours \u2013 like what draws\u00a0people to in-person events, how they prefer to connect, and which formats foster the strongest\u00a0engagement \u2013 continue to evolve.Today, business owners are networking with purpose \u2013 not just for handshakes, but for insights\u00a0and innovation. This is according to the 2025 trends report by Freeman, a global leader in\u00a0events, which reveals 61% of respondents network primarily to learn something new, while 58%\u00a0do so to exchange ideas and 54%, to identify collaboration opportunities.Preparation is your secret weaponWalking into a networking event without preparation is a bit like pitching to an investor without a\u00a0business plan \u2013 you might get lucky, but the odds aren\u2019t in your favour. The entrepreneurs who\u00a0consistently gain value from networking are the ones who take a strategic approach. They do\u00a0their research, set objectives, and approach every conversation with intent.Here are five practical steps drawn from the Freeman report\u2019s findings to help you prepare and\u00a0network with purpose:Step one: Do your homeworkBefore a networking event, research who\u2019s attending, which experts will be there, and what\u00a0topics will be discussed. In the report, 43% of respondents said knowing which industry leaders\u00a0would be present helped them connect more effectively, while 40% value being able to connect\u00a0with targeted attendees in advance.Step two: Arrive with purposeThink about what you hope to gain from the experience, whether it\u2019s learning about emerging\u00a0trends, exploring partnerships, or finding solutions to shared challenges. Set specific goals for\u00a0the conversations you want to have and who you\u2019d like to have them with.The strongest networks are built when people connect around shared goals and relevant topics.\u00a0In fact, 51% of respondents prefer industry-specific discussions, while nearly half (49%) believe\u00a0that prompts related to industry challenges make networking more valuable.Step three: Listen more than you sellRelationship-building starts with listening. The report found that 40% of respondents identified\u00a0active listening as a key skill for effective networking. Conversely, one in three people said\u00a0networking often feels \u201ctoo salesy,\u201d suggesting that old-school elevator pitches and aggressive\u00a0selling tactics are turning people off.This tells us that the most effective connectors are those who focus first on building\u00a0relationships, not on making sales. So be sure to ask open-ended questions and show genuine\u00a0curiosity about others\u2019 work when attending events.Step four: Sharpen your soft skillsStrong interpersonal skills are everything when it comes to networking, so it\u2019s worth practising\u00a0conversational techniques that show interest and engagement. When asked what would improve their ability to connect at in-person events, 51% of respondents said remembering\u00a0names and details would help, while 40% highlighted active listening as essential.Step five: Follow up thoughtfullyThe real value of networking happens after the event. Reach out, share an article, or suggest a\u00a0coffee meeting, but make sure you personalise your approach. More than a third (34%) of\u00a0respondents say that personalisation makes networking more effective.In an era where digital connections often outnumber face-to-face interactions, purposeful\u00a0networking offers a rare opportunity to connect with people in meaningful ways. Every\u00a0introduction could be a future client, mentor, or partner \u2013 and every conversation an opportunity\u00a0to learn, collaborate, or innovate.Jeremy Lang is the managing director at Business Partners Limited.Jeremy Lang, Managing Director at Business Partners Limited*** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or\u00a0IOL.BUSINESS REPORT<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":266699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-builder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266697"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266700,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266697\/revisions\/266700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}