Complete Guide on Benefits of Business Networking in Dubai, UAE
The art of business networking revolves around creating a two-sided beneficial relationship which helps each end for business, opportunities, career, market and interests etc. in UAE market. If you want to gain more benefits from networking, then you will have to actively share your skills, advices and experiences with people so that they will return the same to you. The process of give and take is very much involved in business networking.
In brief, successful business networking can help you in many ways including increment in your customer approach, establishment of new investor relations, market approach, market research and presence, development of new skills, new ideas, and upgrading the company and personal profile.
As a starter, one can pick the common business networking options in Dubai including exhibitions, conferences, meetings, trade shows and industry dinners etc. Such activities are organized by industry representatives like DWTC (Dubai World Trade Centre) or people sharing the interests. Now virtual networking options are also available for following your established customer field and finding new customers for Middle East market.
If you tactfully deal with business networking on right time, then networking can truly become your ideal and profit-making strategy for Dubai based business. You should start by finding out your current and long term business requirements and ideal options for the fulfillment of these needs.
Find Out the Networking Events
1.1 Make a Draft of Your Business Needs
The business needs are far greater than what one perceives. The difficulties and challenges of future are also included in your Dubai business needs. These needs should be your guidance to networking and motivation to future success.
Some of the common business needs include finding new customer range, establishing new markets, upgrading the market status, finding an investor or partner and increasing self knowledge.
Business networking lets you meet the people who are share challenges, goals and ideas with you.
1.2 Find Out The Solution Makers
Every business need does not need to be resolved by individuals. A few options can help you achieve your various business goals. But you never know which options can help you what range of goals. So an easy solution is to make the priority list of needs.
Find out the available options for your business needs. You also need to discover their expectations from you as networking is all about giving something and taking something in return.
1.3 Discover Their Related Organizations
The associations of solutions makers are with trade organizations, exhibition organizers, interest groups, trade forums and professional bodies etc.
Your next step is to find the organizations, exhibitions organizers and interest groups related to your business. You can do online research or approach the press or Chamber of Commerce for this purpose. Some people in your range have a lot of relations with these options. These people include your estate agent, lawyer, doctor, insurance agent and bank manager etc.
Start active participation in the online forums related to your business. There are hundreds of options available on the social networking sites. Your prospects will automatically connect with your online presence.
Keep an eye on the groups and forums joined by your competitors. These might be of great interest to you for networking.
1.4 Discover the Associated Business Networking Events
Your associated organizations and groups will have contacts and email IDs on their websites or social networking site profiles. Keep the contacts in written and virtual form. Also, visit their websites and profiles regularly to stay updated about upcoming events.
Also create your personalized profiles of the relevant associations and organizations by collecting the information about their close and active associations, their events, members and their services.
Gather information about the Dubai events as well. Find out the general time of the year for Dubai business events, participants and the place of organization. If you cannot contact your targets through social media, then make direct contacts. A phone call or a visit will do good job. Some organizations allow open events in Dubai. These events can be attended by non-members and they are good options for meeting new prospects.
Organize and Schedule
2.1 Schedule Important and Upcoming Corporate Dubai Events in Written
Write down all the upcoming important corporate events in your diary. You can arrange your meetings and appointments in advance. These meetings are also important in networking so don’t cancel them.
2.2 Make Priority List
Depending on your most important goals, time and budget, make the priority list of the upcoming corporate events. Keep the most important events on the top. But don’t cancel the less important events.
One person cannot attend all the events and take care of other responsibilities. On very practical notes, you will have to arrange a replacement or your activities and responsibilities might clash. Your aim should be to attend a corporate event and continue the networking process, no matter who does this.
2.3 Create a 20 Second Interesting and Time-Earning Presentation
Your first 20 seconds of meeting someone will decide the time of conversation. If these 20 seconds are uninteresting, then your target would move to someone else. This time should be interesting and time-earning not money-earning. A very easy and quick tip is to add your Unique Selling Point and your business values in these 20 seconds. Don’t give long introductions as they end up with boring notes.
Prepare
3.1 Know Who Is Going to Come
Your presence in a business event is worthy only if you know about the attendees. You would earn no benefit if you meet the wrong people. Exceptionally, this might happen but your effort should be to make your time worthy. For this purpose, try to get a list of expected attendees and do a little research on their profiles and associated organizations.
The next step is to prepare to meet the people. Firstly, make a list of important people at the business event according to your business. Formulate the questions in written form. Also, generate the techniques to make your conversations interesting. Also, prepare yourself for their expectations.
3.2 Stock Your Bag with Business Cards
Forget your business cards and all your efforts will go to trash. Some people keep diaries and pens and write their contacts on paper pieces. This is a very unprofessional method and it does not show any business dedication. People often throw away such contact details.
Also, make sure that your business cards are updated. Some people don’t bother to print new business cards for contact details and write new numbers, websites or email addresses with pen. This is also a very unprofessional method.
3.3 Take Most Suitable Stuff Only
Your briefcase should contain only appropriate items. Sometimes, a business diary is sufficient for your goals. The content and stuff depend on the type of business event or meeting you are attending. Some business events do not allow promotional items. Get this information in advance.
3.4 Dress Fresh to Impress
Assigning a dress code in Dubai events has now become a common norm. Your dress will let you engage people more easily and confidently. It will attract people towards you.
For formal occasions, dress formally. For less formal, dress casually. Don’t overdress. If you are unsure about the corporate event dress code, then seek advice from some attendee or organizers.
3.5 Exercise Your Introduction
In business networking, the time is very limited and competition is strict. Many people answer ‘what do you do’ in such a boring way that the receiver does not bother to ask next question. It happens when there is lack of exercise.
Don’t lie and don’t brag. Tell the truth in clear, interesting, friendly and precise manner. You can include interesting topics, facts and experiences in your introduction. Give breaks and let them interject. You can also add jokes and funny examples in your introduction.
A very important point to remember is that exercise can make your tone robotic. Give updated information and practice your introduction in many different ways.
3.6 Take Someone Along If Possible
Business networking is difficult because it gives less time and many options. Very often, you cannot achieve your all goals of a business event because of lack of time. So take someone from the company, colleague or a good friend along if there is opportunity. Share your business networking load by dividing your goals. A person with you can also help you out if your conversation becomes boring or tiring.
Remember Event Etiquette Rules
4.1 Become Known to Organizers
Many times, new people ask the event or exhibition organizers to introduce them to someone. If the organizers already know you, they will direct these people towards you.
Another great advantage of knowing the organizers is that they can take you to your targets and introduce you to them.
4.2 Pick Right Business Networking Opportunities in the Dubai Events
Mostly the events are not specifically organized for business networking. There is always some other main aim behind every business event. For example; if an event is educational like Gulf Education and Training Exhibition, then don’t interrupt people during lectures and speeches. Achieve your goals during breaks only.
If an event is organized specifically for business networking, then achieve the maximum out of it.
4.3 Take the First Step
In business networking, success is not an opportunity. You have to open the door before the success knocks. Therefore; take the first step and don’t wait for people to come to you.
If you are good at taking your first step, then people will automatically become interested in making business networks with you.
4.4 Shortlist Your Targets
Make the priority shortlist of targets based on the suitability with your goals. But make sure that you try making networks with others as well. Some gems are hidden.
4.5 Introduce on Right Time
Networkers become so ambitious on meeting their targets that they interrupt their chats and start introducing themselves. This is rude and uncomforting.
Stay close to your targets and give them signals by smiling or nodding your head in ‘hello’ notion. Speak to them when it is favorable.
4.6 Comfortably Shift Conversation to Your Business
Don’t start directly with your business conversation. Start with something light and refreshing for the mood. The person you are meeting might be tired of listening to business conversations.
Slightly move to your business talk but don’t force them to discuss your business. If you find them interested in your topic, only then proceed forward. Make sure that you are fully prepared for their questions.
If the targets seem to be uninterested, then you can start discussing about their business as everyone loves to talk about their work. Later, you can tell them about your business.
4.7 Get Bundles of Information
There are different ways in which you can offer general helps to people. Think about these ways.
Always keep a notepad with you when thinking. Take notes as they will be very helpful later.
Give appropriate time to conversations. Don’t give unnecessary or extra information. Very brief information is also unworthy. But make sure that when you end a conversation, the result is productive and helpful.
4.8 Look Forward to Conclusions for Getting More Leads
Promises, guarantees and exchange of contact numbers are generally the easiest ways to end a conversation.
Sometimes, you might make good friends in an event or trade show but don’t spend too much time with them. You have to find more leads and you will have to conclude conversations to move forward. You can pay off friendships later on.
Some contacts might not seem very helpful. In such cases, have a good conversation, exchange your contacts and move on to other clients.
4.9 Get Food to Get With People
It is astonishing to know that many contacts can be found in the dining area. You can begin with a simple comment or compliment about the food and share good thoughts on Dubai event.
Don’t stuff your tummy with a lot of food. Take food as another opportunity to find networks.
New Leads Follow-up
5.1 Maintain Conversation Details
Just after meeting your targets and getting back to office or home, record the details of the conversation. Highlight the interests of your target so that it becomes easy to debate with them in future conversations.
Small personal details are very important in reminding your meeting to the people.
If you are following up them on phone or email, then keep the details in front of you.
5.2 Maintain Business Cards
Collect all the business cards and other contact details in your file.
5.3 Strengthen on Telephone
Make time to follow your newly made contacts on telephone.
Once you remind them just after the meeting, they will start getting to you on their own. Tell them about the conversation you had in the business event. This conversation will provide you base for your telephonic talk.
Your telephonic conversation will pave the way for person-to-person meeting.
Don’t forget to confirm the details of telephonic talk via email.
5.4 Maintain Healthy Partnership
Your ambition should be to build and maintain good and long-term alliances with contacts.
Whenever you make any changes in your business or bring something new to market, don’t forget to inform them or invite them on launching ceremonies. Make them feel important so they will make your important.
Business networking is beneficial only when you know how to maintain your contacts. No matter even if they move their jobs or locations, you should maintain personal and business relations with them.
Virtual Networking
6.1 Find the Sources of Virtual Networking
Due to great interest of companies in online business networking, many companies now connect via social media only.
You can not only connect with a bigger and better range of people but you can also establish connections across the oceans.
Discover online networking forums and opportunities. If you have completed the section 1.3 of this article, then you have already completed this section as well.
Keep finding out new forums and business networking options. Find the members of business networking forums and gather their profile information. Generate connections whenever possible.
6.2 Bookmark Relevant Organizations
Add only relevant and associated organizations to your business diary.
Bookmark or add the most important websites or social media profiles to the favorites and make regular visits.
If subscription fee is charged, then check your budget. Prefer free business networking sites more. But if you can afford, then prefer those groups which charge subscription fee as you are most likely to get the best audience here.
6.3 Make Truth Based Online Profile Only
Many companies in UAE add fake information in their online profiles. Don’t underestimate other companies. Fake information is caught one day or other. Business networking is all about honest relations.
It does not matter if a company asks for a company profile or not, your brief company profile will be overviewed by almost every visiting person.
6.4 Be Active and Frontline Player
Although offline business networking is also beneficial but to make true networks, you will have to become active and frontline player. Participate in debates and help people on online networks.
Don’t become a seller only. Share expertise.
6.5 Pick Non-Virtual Events from Virtual Networks
Many people send invites to their virtual networks. No matter how time and money saving virtual networking is, it cannot replace face to face communication. Visit non-virtual business events and shows for valuable business.
Strokes Exhibits Dubai team can help you develop your networking strategy
Business networking is one of the most important aspects of any successful company, and there are few places better to nurture your business relationships than Dubai. As a global hub for commerce and trade, Dubai is home to some of the most successful businesses in the world. If you’re looking to boost your business networking via events or exhibitions, Dubai is the place to be. Strokes exhibits has a team of skilled consultants who can support you in planning for your next exhibition. We can help you develop your networking strategy, identify key contacts, and maximize your chances of success. Whether you’re looking to expand your business network or simply build stronger relationships with existing contacts, we can help you achieve your goals. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
