5 Networking Mistakes Freelancers Should Avoid
No matter your industry, networking can be a great way to meet prospective clients or customers and grow your business. For freelancers and small business owners, the idea of networking events can seem scary, especially if you have anxiety. You may also worry that you don’t have time to attend events when you’re juggling so many other aspects of your business.
But don’t panic — we’re here to offer some handy networking tips and to go through some common mistakes so you can get the most out of every minute spent at online or in-person events.
Why should freelancers attend networking events?
Once you set out on a freelance journey, you’ll start to notice that networking events are popping up everywhere! This is great news for any small business owner. While you usually need to pay to attend these events, they can be well worth the investment, offering:
A chance to meet other small business owners who are on a similar journey
Collaboration opportunities
The chance to meet and build connections with potential clients or customers
Referrals
Learning and mentorship opportunities
A change of pace (which can be especially important when you work at home on your own)
Support, encouragement, and inspiration
A chance to step out of your comfort zone
5 common networking mistakes
The unfortunate truth is that simply attending networking events without actively participating isn’t enough. So, how can you make networking work for you?
Here are some common (yet understandable) mistakes that many freelancers make when networking. Avoid these and you’ll be well on your way to building genuine and meaningful connections that also drive your business forward.
Focusing on transactions rather than connections
If you attend a networking event with the sole aim of making a sale, you’ll miss out on so much more that the experience has to offer. Going in and immediately trying to pitch your service or product can even put others off.
Instead, try to focus on building genuine connections with others. Hear their stories, learn from them, and offer help where you can. This way, you’re far more likely to have fun, but you’ll also develop stronger relationships that can lead to ongoing business.
Not having a goal in mind
With this said, it’s also important to attend the event with an aim in mind. Think about the ideal connection you want to make and what you’d like to walk away with — whether it’s a new contact, a potential collaborator, or simply more confidence in your networking skills.
Having a clear goal can keep your conversations intentional and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed in a busy room.
Not following up after the event
You’ve had some great conversations and feel you really built a rapport with someone who could potentially become a client, collaborator, or customer. But after leaving the event, you never contact them… This is a big missed opportunity!
Simply sending a “hello, it was great to meet you!” message on a social media platform or via email can strengthen the connection and potentially lead to work down the line. Your new acquaintance is more likely to think of you when a need for your service arises
Attending too many networking events
This may seem counterintuitive — surely the more networking events you attend, the more people you’ll meet? While this is true, not every person you meet will become a close connection.
Networking also takes up a lot of time, so focus your energy on attending events that will help you meet the right kinds of people, whether you want to connect with creatives, other people in your field, or other business professionals who need your services. Think: quality over quantity.
Being too vague about your business
While building genuine relationships is certainly more important than making sales, it’s important to remember that you are still there to showcase your business. So it’s essential to be able to give networking attendees a clear and succinct overview of what you do.
Even if your services are fairly broad, being as specific as possible can help draw the right connections to you and ensure you stay memorable.
Not sure if you have time for networking?
If, like many freelancers and small business owners, you find yourself wondering how you can fit networking events into your schedule, it could be a sign that you have too much on your plate. While day-to-day operations are, of course, the priority, the best way to really grow your business is to network — so it’s worth making space in your calendar.
You may find it helpful to outsource other tasks, such as admin support, email management, and neurodivergent support, to a virtual assistant. An experienced VA can efficiently handle these elements so you can free up time to go to networking events and build authentic relationships that drive your business forward.
If this sounds like something you’d benefit from, get in touch to have a chat.
