Business Networking For Dummies

Chapter 3

Setting (Realistic) Expectations

In This chapter

Figuring out your networking expectations

Matching your expectations to reality

Cultivating relationships

A potential issue with networking is knowing what you should expect from it. In networking, possibly more than any other business activity, you have so many variables to account for that it makes a lot of sense to be realistic in your expectations, right from the beginning.

People’s expectations of networking can be unrealistic, particularly in terms of the likely sales they’ll make. Therefore, in this chapter, you think about what you should expect and, hopefully, be challenged a little to make sure that you’re realistic about your expectations before you set off.

Recognising Why You Need to Set Expectations

Before you start any business activity, it makes sense to think through what the point of the activity is, which involves working out at the outset what you expect to get out of it.

Getting your expectations right helps in several ways:

• You feel more focused on why you’re networking – vital on a cold December morning when you need the motivation to get out of bed an hour early and go to your networking event.
• You ...