Over the past two weeks, I have taken my business networking to a whole new level. Because of the confidence being part of 4Networking has given me, I ventured to two different exhibitions. Apparently, networking shows can be a lot of fun!
Two weeks ago, I went to my first Business Show at Excel in London Town, after some gentle bullying from my friend, Steve The Barman. Sure, at times it was exhausting talking and listening to different people for almost five hours non-stop, but it was a lot of fun learning about what people do in their businesses and what makes individuals tick.
Being there and reflecting on the event afterwards reminded me of this quote from Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’:
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
I met some interesting and inspiring business owners visiting the 4Networking stand. I learned of the challenges they had setting up, how they added new products in their businesses, segmented their offerings to customers and so much more. Fascinating stuff!
I was also lucky enough to catch up with some 4Networking people I had seen on Facebook and Twitter. It’s so good when you meet people in real life and they are as lovely as they are online! Making new friends wasn’t something I was expecting to do when I started networking, but it’s very reassuring when it does happen!
Last week, I attended my first event as an exhibitor which was pretty exciting! It’s an annual event and it was held at Ely Cathedral by the Ely Cathedral Business Group. I didn’t stay at my own stand too long during the day, but instead met many businesses, entrepreneurs and charities throughout the day. It was fascinating and sometimes humbling to hear how everyone had started and grown in their businesses.
I have met so many smart and inspiring people recently – they have got me excited about what I can do in my business and new skills like training I have found a passion for. For me, it’s not about the selling, but the opportunities for learning from others attending shows that excite me!
