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Guest post by: Patricia Weber Become an Author

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If you are nearsighted you know that without glasses or improvement in the overall health of eyes, seeing in the distance is blurred. Some people approach business networking with the same short-sightedness. Rather than be embarrassed or frustrated with such a perspective, turn each of these three networking mistakes into a better situation.

Networking is an event to attend and sell my product/service/self.

- Networking is a part of a system; a system by design. Networking is a part of selling. It’s process within selling. On it’s own networking can be anywhere in the process of selling – it could be the beginning, a continuation or the final event that leads someone to believe you have the best solution for their problem. Selling as an event does not usually happen in networking unless other “parts” in the relationship have come before.

All I need to do is network and my business will grow.

-Networking is one part of marketing! A newsletter, direct mail, an online website presence, a signature file at the end of an email, testimonials, a mailing list, press releases, being on a radio or talk show, taking a prospect to lunch, writing articles, asking for referrals, attending a trade show, giving seminars – all of these and a hundred more are marketing activities. Networking is one way to gain attention of those who can buy your product or service to solve a problem they have and help you grow your business.

I networked once and it got me nothing.

-Yes it's an exaggeration. Networking gets you something every time. The mistake is in the idea that networking is an event where the sale happens. The reality is that networking as a process gives many opportunities to help take a product and service to market. Networking is a significant event in a series of events adding up to a marketing plan.

Take off the glasses and bring the true value of networking into sight. You will reduce your frustration and increase your sales along the way.

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