Networking is something that makes up the modern world. Sometimes we do not give it enough credit and underestimate its role in our lives. We need it in every aspect of our lives, whether it’s for mundane interactions or world politics.
The world of business is no different in this scenario and needs networking as much as any other industry or field.
We sat down with the CEO of Esterox Armen Adamyan and talked about networking in business and why it’s crucial for succeeding.
What is the significance of networking in business for you?
Generally, networking is really important in a person’s life since it is the foundation of society itself. The world wouldn’t be where it is now if networking didn’t exist. As the Armenian saying goes, “A person makes a person”, meaning that people always need other people. At birth a person is assigned a specific set of skills and if he or she is wise they will acknowledge his or her talents and flaws, and cooperate with others based on this.
And cooperation is the very thing that multiplies our business outcome which we attempted to achieve on our own. Business is not exempt from this experience since only by finding connections and cooperating with others can the business succeed.
Can you share a personal case where networking played a crucial role in your professional journey or the growth of the company?
I am a member of the Mantashyants Entrepreneurs Union. Here we have many entrepreneurs from different industries and fields and the connection with them can make you stronger. I have made many colleagues in the field thanks to those connections and some of our most prolific projects have happened due to them.
As a leader, how do you encourage and facilitate networking opportunities within your organization to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members?
We have many team events where we get to know our team members outside of the office and this is how we discover talents. In the meantime, various departments have weekly meetings and exchange the knowledge and experience acquired by them. We consistently participate in various conferences obtaining more knowledge and friends.
List the most valuable networking hacks from your experience.
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Participate in conferences and events. Here people are really open to making new connections
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Be proactive and be the first to introduce yourself. Sometimes shyness or even pride stand in the way of introducing oneself. Remember that the others are just like us and need new connections.
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Speeches can make people form opinions about us after which you can attract people to want to get to know you.
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Be honest! People love honesty and are usually quick to detect insincerity.
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Get to know others! When we point out people’s talents and talk about them, they understand that we’ve started getting to know them.
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Be useful! It is important to be useful and helpful when we can and keep the promises we’ve made. Do not make friends only thinking of the benefits of it. You should rather be the one ready to help. Be open to the advice or help of others.
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Be grateful! Appreciate the time of others.
Has networking become more challenging in the digital age as many individuals prefer online interactions?
Online connections can also be helpful but I think real connections are created through offline interactions. Real-life interactions create lively relationships with emotions, colors, scents, and voices. Online interactions, especially texting make people mechanical, more particularly now when we can interact with artificial intelligence. I prefer speaking on the phone after a real-life interaction.
Reflecting on your recent experiences, could you describe the most recent networking event you attended and elaborate on its impact on the company's growth trajectory?
I’d rather bring an example. During Digitec we met new people and gained new followers and supporters. Now we’re working on the development of the ArmChurch application with one of the people we met that day.