Networking For Business Development In 2025

The Future of B2B Events in 2025: Why Webinars aren't Enough Anymore. Webinars are still Good in 2025. But., If you are relying only on webinars to drive your B2B strategy in 2025, you're missing the bigger picture. ❌ The Old Playbook: Host a webinar. -Gather MQLs from form fills. -Send follow-up emails. -Push MQLs to sales. -Pitch your product. It's time to evolve: 👉 What's working in 2025: -Today's B2B buyers want more than a one-way conversation. -They crave value, interaction, and a sense of community. A few Examples and my favorites: ✔️ Workshops Over Webinars: 💡 Buyers want to be involved, not just observe. -Interactive workshops let them learn better. -Whether solving real problems in a live session or gaining hands-on experience, workshops create deep, personal engagement. I conduct workshops, which help me learn a great deal while teaching. -I Structured them as a hands-on, problem-solving session around a common pain point my prospect faces. ✔️ Micro-Communities: 📍 Think beyond large, impersonal webinars. -B2B decision-makers get increasingly drawn to smaller, niche groups where they can connect with peers and gain specialized knowledge ✔️ Live Case Studies with Clients: Inviting clients to co-host live case studies where they share their success stories and strategies. -It helps build trust and showcases real-world solutions. -These sessions highlight the tangible outcomes of your product or service. ✔️ Courses and Micro-Learning Sessions: 📚 Today's B2B buyers appreciate short, focused courses that they can immediately apply to their work. -Building an educational track with bite-sized learning around key topics is a win-win for engagement and brand positioning. ✔️Casual In-person Local Events The most underrated B2B growth lever in 2025. We’re seeing a revival of local, low-pressure, high-value meetups. You can organize: -CXO breakfast roundtables -12-person pizza & strategy evenings -Founder-led coffee sessions with 1-2 enterprise prospects -Co-branded "mini ABM events" with a customer as a host The vibe is Informal. Intentional. Invite-only. These formats are perfect for 1:Few and 1:1 ABM strategies. No decks. No sales pitches. Just proximity, context, and honest conversations. Here's an Example: -Use LinkedIn + HubSpot (or your CRM) to map your Tier 1 and Tier 2 accounts by city or region. -Once you’ve got your local clusters, don’t just wait for conferences—host your micro-events quarterly. -Even a 2-hour breakfast session with 5 decision-makers can create a more robust downstream pipeline than 500 passive webinar attendees. . It’s not about the number of attendees. It’s about curating the right conversations with the right people.

You see other entrepreneurs getting tagged in viral posts, name-dropped on podcasts, and invited into exclusive rooms. Meanwhile, you're stuck sending cold DMs that go unread. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲. Most people fail at networking because they do it backwards. They ask before they give. They show up only when they need something. But real networking is about building relationships before you need them. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: 👠 𝘛𝘢𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 – Find the gatekeepers: podcast hosts, event organizers, and community builders. Instead of building a network from scratch, plug into one. 👠 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 – Stop pitching. Instead, ask: What’s your biggest goal this year? What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing? Then shut up and listen. 👠 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴, 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘖𝘸𝘯 – Want to be remembered? Help people win. If you can solve their problem, do it. If you know someone who can, make the intro. 👠 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 – Follow up when they land a big deal, hit a rough patch, or even on their birthday. The best networkers don’t just connect—they stay connected. 👠 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶 – The highest level of networking? Having people come to you. If you’re not posting, you’re invisible. Build a reputation before you even walk into the room. Most people treat networking as a transaction—but relationships compound. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸: 1. Pick one person you admire. 2. Engage with their content. 3. Get on a call. 4. Ask what they need help with. 5. Find a way to help. Do this consistently, and in 12 months, your network will be unrecognizable. DM me after a week and LMK how it's going! #Entrepreneurship #Networking #BusinessGrowth #Founders #Startups

What Are Radical Ways to Connect Startups, Founders, and Investors While Showcasing Local Talent? Networking could be more than the typical hotel conference room or formal meet-and-greet over coffee. Take a bolder approach to creating unforgettable connections while supporting local entrepreneurs in 2025– ☕️ Diners and Cafés? Hold networking breakfasts at a diner or coffee shop that opened recently. Let the founder share their story of perseverance and vision while attendees connect over coffee. 🌟 Startup Spotlight Nights Feature a handful of local startups in a pitch or demo session. Pair this with food and drink from local vendors for a true celebration of community talent. 🎨 Artisan Showcases Partner with local artists, musicians, crafters, or designers to highlight creativity and business synergy, proving innovation isn’t limited to tech. 🚶♀️ Startup Safari Create a “trail” where attendees visit multiple local businesses, hear founder stories, and connect with other participants along the way. ☕ Breakfast with Founders Create intimate morning meetups for founders and investors to share advice over coffee. 🍪 Workshops at Local Spots Host events where attendees can learn the story of a local business and participate in a fun activity (like baking or crafting). ➡️ Let’s reimagine networking. Which of these ideas resonates with you to build relationships? #CollaborateForChange #FounderResources