Networking is usually thought of as a solo activity, but this isn’t always the case. 68% of companies use networking events of some kind to draw in the bulk of their sales leads. Strategies like this mean that networking has to be a team effort. If you’re getting ready to lead your team into a new networking event, it’s up to you to prepare them. This four-step plan is a great place to start.

Attending a great networking event is only step one of a successful attempt to create new contacts. Once the event is over, what next? Although about 75% of people network in some way, not all of them understand that an event is only meant to provide initial introductions to people of interest. It’s up to you to take it the rest of the way or watch those budding new business relationships wither.

We all know that networking is an important part of being part of the working world; however, it may not always be easy to give this activity the attention it deserves. 41% of professionals say that they would like to network more, but they simply do not have the time to do so. If you’re anything like them, you need to make sure that the time that you do spend at events counts for something. Believe it or not, the right actions and attitudes can have a big impact on networking outcomes.

Networking events may occasionally seem like an outdated concept now that it’s possible to speak to anyone from anywhere at the touch of a button, but the stats on this matter speak for themselves. 40% of new prospects that you meet face-to-face can be expected to convert into new customers at some point; there's no better way to start off a business relationship.

Going to networking events is clearly worth doing, but it’s also worth thinking about what you might do to boost the effectiveness of the time, energy and resources you’re investing to do so. Getting the right tools at your side is critical to making this happen, and there’s one in particular that you might miss: a mobile business card scanner.

Networking events are a great way to extend your contact base and reach for greater success; 78% of start-ups cite networking as being critical to establishing their early customer base. However, these events have developed a bit of a dour reputation over the years. If picturing one makes you think of a joyless congregation of grey suits, you’re not alone, but you’ve still got the wrong idea. Networking events can be both effective and fun – in fact, these two goals often go hand in hand. With these tips, the next one you host could be the best your guests attend all year.

Artificial intelligence, AI, isn’t just a science fiction concept anymore. This innovation has become the new trend in information technology and it is about to bring massive change to just about every industry. It is projected to account for $36.8 billion in revenue by the end of the year 2025.

Data is a shockingly underused resource in the modern business world. Despite the fact that most businesses collect it in some fashion, a mere 39% of them are actually making use of their contact data in a productive way. Part of the reason for this may be that this data is not of sufficient quality to be helpful. This is, of course, a tremendous waste. This resource holds incredible potential, and while it does require some active intervention to render it useful, getting your data quality in line up-front sure to pay off.

When you are working on driving revenue growth, your efforts to bring your marketing and sales closer together has never been more essential. In almost every organization, there is a gap between the sales and marketing departments. The first accuses the other of not providing enough qualified leads and the other accuses the first of not providing enough concise information on existing customers and on the various contacts established. But how do you reconcile the two?

Here is a good starting point to establish some ground for to bring your team to work closer together. With these five points, you can create a sense of collaboration in order to maximize their activities, efforts and efficiencies.

Another event is coming up. You are getting ready to go and your entire focus is on how to network and make business connections to promote your brand and build relationships. So how do successful people network and avoid making others cringe?

Here are five problems that you might face in networking events and how to avoid them:

“Acknowledge that if you do not change your method, you will get the same results, if not worse, if your competitors change theirs” - Jack Welch.

You just finished your meeting with a prospect and his response about your product or service was not thrilling. You probably felt this before. So what do you do next? Well, before thinking about what to do next, let us take a few minutes and go through the "not so thrilling" response. Did he tell you he already has another supplier? Or that he is not familiar with your company? Does he need more time? or is he already doing it internally? You would love that last one, because most of the time your biggest competitor is your customer.