We have been asked those questions a lot. Like A LOT. “Why do you say that Business Networking tools are broken? I met great people at the last event I attended!” or “How are you different from other networking apps or services like LinkedIn?” Well, the short answer is that Business Networking requires some time, and we want professionals to get the most out of that time.
Business networking tool are broken
That’s a strong but pretty accurate analysis. Let’s separate two kind of tools: Online tools and Offline tools.
Online Tools:
Quick definition: We call online Business Networking tools any website or app that aims at connecting you with other people from a business point of view. A few examples would be Weave, Treatings, and of course LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is the most famous and the most used online Business Networking tool so let’s start with this one. LinkedIn brands itself as “the largest professional network” which is true. They have a lot of users and it’s getting harder these days to find someone without a LinkedIn profile. For us, LinkedIn is a “portfolio for non-creatives people”, meaning that it is at most a way to showcase your experiences. Have you ever tried to connect on LinkedIn with someone who is neither a colleague, a classmate, or a friend? It’s not that easy. Have you ever tried to send more than a few “InMails” to your connections if you don’t have a Premium account? There are a lot of limitations. And finally, and most importantly, have you ever managed to meet someone in real life after connecting only through LinkedIn? You see where this is going right?!
So to give you a clear picture, LinkedIn is a great tool to manage your online professional presence, but is not the best tool to meet new professionals around you and grow your network.
The other apps such as Weave, Treatings and much more, are trying to solve that problem. And a lot of them are based on a Tinder-like user interface. For us, that’s not a good way to go. Would you look at your future hire’s (or future boss’) profile the same way you look at your next date’s one? That’s the first problem. Then, these apps let you discover professionals around you and if there is a “match” (meaning that you showed interest for someone and he showed interest for you as well), the app open a chat between you two. That’s great, but that’s definitely not enough!
What are your goals when it comes to networking? Meet new and interesting professionals that you would be able to help and who will be able to help you in return, foster mutually beneficial relationships, enhance your career, your business, not just chat with someone through a cold and tasteless online messaging app!
So as we just saw, online Business Networking tools can have some good points, but are generally not as efficient as we would need them to be.
Offline tools:
Quick definition: We call offline Business Networking tools any group or company that engage in offline Business Networking activities such as networking events (even if those events are often build online, the action takes place offline).
Networking events are the sinews of war when it comes to Business Networking. Those events are a great opportunity to mingle and meet interesting people, we won’t deny that! Our team even met in this kind of event! Our concern here is that these events are like a lottery, you never know what you’ll get out of it, but it requires a huge involvement from you! Indeed you can never be sure you are attending the right event, to meet the right person, to get something out of it!
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
