Business has changed, and there's no going back to the way things were. Before the advent of the Internet, business used to be done with a handshake. You would meet people while you were working or you would meet them through friends and family, or even work connections.

But today, when businesses are spread out all over the world, you can't simply wait to shake someone's hand, and you can't limit yourself to the people in your local area.

Instead, you need to make networking a part of your everyday activities.

This isn't the most comfortable skill for many people to master – networking. It takes time, it takes energy, and it requires you interact with people more than you may have thought to do in the past.

However, networking is still as crucial to the long-term health of your business as it was in the past. You need to be ready to get out there and meet new people in order to flourish as a business owner, an employee, and even as a customer.

The Basics of Networking

When you talk about networking professionally, this means any and all activities related to meeting with others in your industry. These people might be colleagues, they might be potential clients, or they might be present clients.

Networking is the process in which you meet and build relationships with others. You might network by:

• Talking to others wherever you are – Even if you're just out and about in your daily errands, you might come upon someone who can help you in your networking goals.

• Meeting at industry events – Industry events, i.e. trade shows, can be a great place to meet up with people who are also networking. Together, you can gather contacts and help each other out in the future.

• Sharing social media connections – Using pages like Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Twitter can help to create strong relationships between industry leaders.

• Speaking to others at work – While you might be someone who likes to focus on work, the more you can talk with others in your workplace, the more you will become memorable to those who might call on you in the future.

• Reaching out to people in the local area – For smaller businesses, networking and getting local support is a great way to ensure you are being noticed and that your reputation is one that appeals to others.

Anywhere you can find someone who might benefit your company, your job, or your career, that's a place where you can network.

You begin networking by finding out where the ideal people to connect to are. Then you go to those places (i.e. public events, social media, etc.). You start a conversation with the person(s). From there, you might keep in contact with them in the future to see if you can help them, or if they can help you.

And what happens next depends on the type of connection you have and what your individual goals might be. Some connections end up looking to each other for resources or they might try to get the other hired at their company.

Or others might find networking is helpful for simply staying up to date on the latest industry trends and ideas.

What you get out of networking is truly what you put into it. The more energy you put in, the more results you will reap. And the good news is that you don't have to spend hours or become a completely different person in order to make networking progress.

You just need to think proactively and you need to think about your bigger goals.

The Right Skills for Networking

One of the many reasons why people don't particularly like to network is that they feel they need to be extroverted in a way that may not come naturally. While this is certainly true for those who are more introverted, it's not necessary for you to be the life of the party.

Instead, these tips and skills are helpful when you are networking:

• Have a clear idea who you want to meet – It can be helpful to know that networking is more about quality than about quantity. To keep networking simple, try making up a description of the person who is going to benefit you most in your networking activities and goals. This way, you will only need to meet those people, and not just spread yourself out to as many people as possible.

  Interested in learning more? Why not take an online Successfully Networking Your Career course?

• Prepare a list of questions to ask – The more prepared you can be when you're networking, the better. If you have a list of questions a person can answer, this will help you get a conversation started, and everyone likes to talk about themselves, so it will make your side of the conversation easier too. (And what you might want to keep in mind is that most people aren't all that comfortable networking, so the more work you do to make things easier, the more the other party will be happy you did.)

• Be open to meeting new people – What you may not remember as you become anxious or uncomfortable about meeting others is that the more open you are, the easier it will be. If you focus on the idea or the goal of meeting as many new people as possible, you will begin to see this process as fun and exciting. If you're a numbers type of person, you can even create goals for yourself – and then see how you improve as you continue to meet new connections.

• Realize every person you meet might have an opportunity for you – As strange as it might sound, thinking that each new connection you have might lead to something great is often the best motivator. When you can look at meetings and networking events as places where you can connect with someone who might be beneficial to you, you will see the value. When you see the value, it can make a chore much less of a burden than it may have seemed before.

You're Not Alone…and It's Not Always About Sales

Everyone in the business world and beyond is realizing they need to reach out to others if they want to be effective in their industry. While it might seem as though you're the only person who is facing networking anxiety or challenges, you certainly are not.

Instead, think about how many people are in the same position as you are. And when you talk to them, point out that these situations can be uncomfortable and uneasy. Though they may not laugh at the ridiculousness, they might also be relieved you said something. After all, you're not alone and the more relaxed you can make these encounters, the better everyone will feel in the end.

Remember , it's not so much that you're trying to sell yourself as a good person with whom to network, but rather you're trying to connect with someone in a positive and productive way. Another way to put this is that each networking opportunity is not just for you; the other person in the conversation can also benefit from what is happening, which makes this worth your while, if not necessary for success.