Top 8 Business Networking Skills to Grow Your Professional Network

business networking skills

Networking is critical for career advancement, no matter where you are in your professional life. 

A Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis study found that networking helps you land jobs faster, produces higher-quality job offers, and increases employee satisfaction. What’s not to love?

Here are 8 essential business networking skills you can implement today to accelerate your professional networking efforts.

Skill 1: Active Listening

Active listening is the basis of all strong communication, making it an essential professional networking skill. 

Active listening means dedicating your full attention to what is being said by the other person with the sole objective of understanding what they’re saying. Often, we listen only to figure out how we can contribute to a conversation. Unfortunately, that can cause us to miss the real message.

Since networking is all about learning from and helping other people, active listening is critical to its success.

Implement this business networking skill by doing the following:

  1. Listen without judgment.
  2. Never interrupt the speaker, and wait to talk next in case they want to add more. Silence can be uncomfortable, but it’s a powerful tool.
  3. Repeat what you’ve heard to check your understanding.
  4. Ask clarifying questions as needed – just don’t interject them.
  5. Consider repeating what’s been said in summary so the speaker can correct any misunderstandings.

Take some time to research and practice active listening to see how it transforms your professional networking experience.

Skill 2: A Focus on Genuine Relationships

Many people take a transactional approach to networking, and while that might work in the short term, it’s often perceived poorly and doesn’t grow a network over time.

Shift your mindset and approach networking as a way to make long-term friends rather than gain opportunities. When you get to know people and put their needs first – more on this later – you’d be surprised what organic opportunities arise. 

To develop this mindset, stay present during networking conversations. Meet the other party where they’re at without thinking about your future and how they can add to it. 

Further, ask questions about people’s personal lives, including their family, friends, and hobbies. Doing so allows you to get to know them holistically, and who knows, perhaps you have more in common than just professionally.

Skill 3: Staying in Touch

One-and-done conversations seldom work for professional networking. Your set of business networking skills should involve regular check-ins with people so you stay top-of-mind.

Regular communication is a significant component of genuine relationships, crucial for building a robust and long-term network. 

Skill 4: Asking Smart Questions

Asking smart questions is a critical business networking skill because it shows the other person that you’re listening and that you care. That said, framing questions incorrectly can be offputting – remember, it’s not what you say but how you say it.

To ask smart questions, remember to listen actively and speak with empathy. 

For instance, if someone tells you they’re having a tough time dealing with a new boss, consider the following response:

“It must be challenging dealing with this new boss – the relationship between boss and employee has a huge impact on employee satisfaction. (Empathetic, reiterating your understanding of the situation.) Have you let your boss know how you feel? (Genuine question trying to understand the situation without being presumptuous or pushy.)

Notice how the focus is on the other person without passing judgment? Framing questions in this way will help your networking efforts.

Related: 7 Intriguing Virtual Networking Ideas To Keep Your Participants Engaged

Skill 5: Non-Verbal Communication Skills

Your non-verbal communication skills are more essential than you might think. Non-verbal communication – or messages you give off without words – accounts for as much as 93% of a message.

Non-verbal communication includes:

  • Body language
  • Gestures
  • Facial expressions
  • Eye contact
  • Paralinguistics (tone of voice, loudness, “mhmms”)
  • Touch (resting a hand on someone’s shoulder, for instance)

Therefore, you can do the following to boost your non-verbal communication and overall business networking skills:

  • Maintain steady eye contact
  • Face the person
  • Nod or say “uh-huh” (or similar) regularly, but not in a disruptive way
  • Use your facial expressions to match the tone of the conversation

With practice, you’ll notice what non-verbal communications work best.

Skill 6: Positive Thinking

Networking – and life – can be fraught with rejections or outcomes you didn’t expect. 

Approach networking with a positive mindset; you’ll be better prepared to handle conversations that don’t go as planned, networking events that are a letdown, and anything else professional networking throws your way.

Similarly, framing your approach to situations positively is perceived better by your peers. Those you’re networking with will understand you’re not a defeatist and are ready for new challenges.

Skill 7: Coping Well With Rejection and Constructive Feedback

Putting yourself out there and building business networking skills means you’ll face constructive criticism and feedback; there’s nothing wrong with that. The better you handle these networking aspects, the more successful you’ll be.

Dealing with rejection can’t be taught; you’ll need to learn it through mindset shifts. That said, here are some tips to begin handling rejection and constructive feedback better:

  • Journal: writing down your emotions can help you release them faster.
  • Do an activity you enjoy to reset your mood.
  • Emotionally distance yourself: step out of the situation and try to observe it as a bystander.
  • Acceptance: you can feel the negative sting of rejection or criticism, but acceptance involves acknowledging your response, validating it, and moving on. The more you fight negative feelings, the more they rear their heads.

Skill 8: Putting Others First

Putting others first is at the heart of this business networking skills list and professional networking in general. In sum, this involves:

  • Actively listening and hearing what people are saying
  • Thinking about what you can give the other person while expecting nothing in return
  • Asking empathetic questions
  • Never passing judgment
  • Asking questions about people’s personal lives
  • Staying in touch long term

Do all this and watch your professional networking flourish.

Network With an Executive Recruiter

If you’re looking to climb the corporate ladder and want help reaching those senior positions, include an executive recruiter in your network. 

Jennings Executive would love to get to know you! We have over two decades of combined experience matching professionals with leading senior- and executive-level positions, helping you build the career of your dreams. Learn more today.

We hope this article helps you build your business networking skills and successfully meet new people.

Related: 8 Proven Strategies For Finding a Mentor And Accelerating Your Career

Daniel Wilkinson

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Client Success

DANIEL WILKINSON IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES & CLIENT SUCCESS. HE BRINGS OVER TWO DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN COMMERCIAL AND PRICING STRATEGY, HAVING HELD KEY LEADERSHIP ROLES AT DELTA AIR LINES AND DELTA VACATIONS. HIS CAREER IS MARKED BY A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN DRIVING SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGIES, CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM LEADERSHIP, AND ENHANCED PROFITABILITY. DAN’S EXPERTISE IS IN HIS ABILITY TO INTEGRATE DATA ANALYTICS WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING, ENABLING ORGANIZATIONS TO OPTIMIZE THEIR REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND PRICING STRATEGIES IN DYNAMIC MARKET ENVIRONMENTS.

AT DELTA VACATIONS, DAN SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC BUSINESS/IT PLANNING & REVENUE MANAGEMENT, WHERE HE SUCCESSFULLY LED TEAMS IN DELIVERING SCALABLE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, DEFINING GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGIES AND DRIVING SIGNIFICANT INCREMENTAL REVENUE AND PROFIT.

DAN RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE FROM TAYLOR UNIVERSITY AND AN MBA WITH A FINANCE CONCENTRATION FROM EMORY UNIVERSITY’S GOIZUETA BUSINESS SCHOOL.

Brian Banister

EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

BRIAN BANISTER IS AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER AT JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH. BRIAN HAS A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIENCE, HAVING WORKED IN STRATEGY & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS, AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTING ROLES FOR LEADING COMPANIES AND CLIENTS IN THE HOSPITALITY, REAL ESTATE, MANAGEMENT CONSULTING, AND TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA, AND TELECOM (TMT) SECTORS. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AT DELOITTE & TOUCHE, WORKING AS A LICENSED CPA. AFTER DELOITTE, BRIAN PIVOTED INTO CORPORATE FINANCE, WHERE HE HELD POSITIONS IN STRATEGY & CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AT INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP (IHG) AND COX COMMUNICATIONS, AS WELL AS AN FP&A ROLE AT BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP (BCG). THESE ROLES ALLOWED BRIAN TO GAIN VALUABLE EXPOSURE IN AREAS LIKE CLIENT SERVICES, STRATEGIC CONSULTING & PLANNING, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, AND M&A AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY.

BRIAN’S EDUCATION INCLUDES BOTH A MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY DEGREE AND A BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN ACCOUNTING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

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EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

DRIVING TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PEOPLE IS OUR MISSION AND LORI’S PASSION AS AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER WITH JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH. SHE CONDUCTS THOROUGH RESEARCH ON EACH ROLE AND BUILDS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH CANDIDATES TO HELP CONNECT PROFESSIONALS WITH THEIR NEXT GREAT OPPORTUNITY. LORI SPENT 22 YEARS AT A FORTUNE 500 INSURANCE COMPANY IN PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, SALES/BUSINESS CONSULTING, AND RECRUITING ROLES. SHE USES THIS EXPERIENCE AS SHE SEARCHES FOR THE BEST TALENT TO HELP DRIVE CLIENT SUCCESS FORWARD. SHE’S FOCUSED ON DELIVERING RESULTS AND GETS THERE THROUGH EFFICIENCY AND TENACITY WITH AN EMPATHETIC, COMPASSIONATE, FUN, GENUINE, AND POSITIVE APPROACH. SHE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING CLIENTS ACHIEVE BUSINESS OBJECTIVES THROUGH UNDERSTANDING NEEDS, CREATING INDIVIDUAL, DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS, AND SOLVING PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND TEAMWORK.

LORI GRADUATED WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.

Justin Graves

EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

JUSTIN GRAVES IS AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER AT JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH.

JUSTIN HAS A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES WORKING WITHIN PUBLIC AND INDUSTRY ACCOUNTING. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH PATHSTONE FAMILY OFFICE PREPARING TAX RETURNS FOR HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS IN THE ATLANTA AREA. IN JANUARY 2015, HE JOINED COHNREZNICK, LLP, A TOP 10 PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM, IN AUDIT & ASSURANCE WORKING PRIMARILY IN THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND HOUSING MARKET. PRIOR TO JOINING JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH, JUSTIN WORKED AT A FAST GROWING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, SS&C TECHNOLOGIES, WHERE HE WORKED IN THE REAL ASSETS DEPARTMENT DOING FUND ADMINISTRATION.

JUSTIN GRADUATED WITH A BACHELORS OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ACCOUNTANCY FROM OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY.

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EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

JUSTIN JENNINGS IS AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER AT JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH. HE COMES FROM THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY WITH 15 YEARS OF MEDICAL SALES EXPERIENCE. HE ATTRIBUTES HIS SUCCESS IN SALES TO LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM HIS CUSTOMERS AND ENJOYS THE PROCESS OF SOLVING PROBLEMS. HE IS SKILLED AT DEVELOPING THE RIGHT ACTION PLAN FOR EACH OF HIS CLIENT’S UNIQUE NEEDS AND COMMITTED TO HELPING THEM CHOOSE THE BEST SOLUTION. JUSTIN HAS TAKEN HIS SPIRIT AND PASSION FOR SELLING TO THE WORLD OF RECRUITING. HE HAS A GOAL OF SURPASSING HIS CLIENT’S EXPECTATIONS AND ASSISTING THEM WITH TALENT ACQUISITION.

JUSTIN GRADUATED WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT FROM GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. WHEN NOT AT WORK, YOU CAN FIND HIM ON HIS MOUNTAIN BIKE, THE GOLF COURSE, OR SKIING OUT WEST IN THE WINTERS.

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PRACTICE LEAD, TECHNOLOGY RECRUITING

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HIS CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES CAN BE FOUND AT COMPANIES RANGING IN SIZE FROM STARTUP TO FORTUNE 500 ACROSS AVIATION, ENERGY, FINANCE, HEALTHCARE, TECH, MANUFACTURING, RETAIL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS. CHIP GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA WITH A BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE IN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS.

Brian Gelfand

PARTNER

BRIAN GELFAND IS A PARTNER AT JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AT DELOITTE & TOUCHE IN AUDIT AND ENTERPRISE RISK SERVICES, WITH A FOCUS ON THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND REAL ESTATE INDUSTRIES. AT DELOITTE, BRIAN GAINED VALUABLE CORPORATE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC MORTGAGE SERVICING CORPORATION, AND A NOT-FOR-PROFIT FOUNDATION WITH OVER $10 BILLION IN ASSETS. BRIAN PASSED THE CPA EXAM BUT ULTIMATELY DECIDED ASSISTING CLIENTS WITH THEIR PEOPLE STRATEGIES WAS HIS PASSION.

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JON JENNINGS IS THE FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER OF JENNINGS EXECUTIVE SEARCH. ESTABLISHED IN 2014, HIS VISION WAS TO SHAPE A FIRM ANCHORED IN TRANSPARENCY AND VALUE CREATION. OVER THE YEARS, JON HAS HAD THE DISTINCT OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH AND LEARN FROM LEADING INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES, GLEANING INSIGHTS FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES AND COMBINING THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH THOROUGH RESEARCH. THIS HAS EQUIPPED HIM TO OFFER A DEEPER, MORE STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE ON ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND TALENT IDENTIFICATION. WITH AN INITIAL FOCUS IN FINANCE, THROUGH JON’S LEADERSHIP THE FIRM HAS PIVOTED INTO BROADER COMMERCIAL AND TECHNICAL STRATEGIES AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

TOGETHER WITH HIS EXPERIENCED TEAM OF EX-CONSULTANTS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, JON COLLABORATES WITH PREMIER CONSULTING FIRMS TO ENHANCE THEIR PRACTICES. SIMULTANEOUSLY, HE ASSISTS PRIVATE EQUITY GROUPS AND THEIR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES IN REFINING AND FORTIFYING THEIR COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL STRATEGIC OPERATIONS.

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