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If there’s one business concept that we absolutely can’t imagine anyone arguing with, it’s the idea that – today more than ever – networking is at the heart of career development.

Now, if someone wanted to argue anyways, they should know that the Harvard Business Review is on our side –  it recently reported that 95% of executives consider face-to-face meetings essential for long-term business relationships.

As Ivan R. Misner, New York Times bestselling author of networking guide The 29% Solution explains, the difference between companies that are good versus companies that are great “are in the little things that are done exceptionally well. Great networkers move their business forward, but they don’t do it alone. Great networkers have a plan, work to expand their network, go the extra mile, know how to get the most value for their time, communicate their messages effectively, become the experts, capture their best stories, and do what others don’t.”

It’s this idea that makes us believe that social media tools and technology will increasingly begin to separate good businesses from great businesses.

Companies and individuals that utilize event technology like ZeristaPRO, with it’s unique matchmaking feature & social networking tools, give themselves an edge before, during, and after events. Not only does social media technology allow these “great” networkers to begin making connections & expanding their networks way back in the planning stage of an event, but this foresight helps them plan for the event itself so that, when it arrives, they are able to allocate their time and energy during those few days most effectively.

Let’s look at it this way: in the days before social media technology, you would arrive at an event with a certain amount of time to meet, mingle, spark a conversation, and hopefully develop a couple of meaningful connections. Today, those are all balls that can be rolling in the months beforehand. With social media tools you can be a participate in group discussions, share your ideas, spark conversations, and request meetings long before you ever board a plane or leave your office. Rather than relying on the serendipidous nature of meet and mingle events, you can search through a database of every attendee, speaker, and event session in order to filter out the most promising networking opportunities available to you based on your specific interests and event goals.

This concept has been incredibly successful in the world of dating, where online dating has become an overwhelming phenomenon. According to a recent survey by Match.com, in 2010 20% of committed relationships (1 in 5) and 17% of newlyweds met on an online dating site. These statistics don’t even take into account the millions of people who have connected through common interest groups and forums, friends on social networking accounts like Facebook or Twitter, or by following a blog or website.

ZeristaPRO borrows the “matchmaking” concept utilized by online dating sites like Match.com or eHarmony, and brings it into the professional arena. Event sites built on the ZeristaPRO platform have a “recommend” button that will “match” you with attendees, event sessions, and sponsors that might be of particular interest to you, both streamlining and personalizing the social networking processes.

In a world like dating – which is tied to so many deeply rooted emotional strings – online dating is thriving for one reason: because it works. It works because filtering through a large pond based on mutual interests, and then being allowed to converse via email, gchat, etc. versus the time and energy involved in going on a Friday night date, is a much more effective ways to find yourself a compatible partner. If this process is successful in something as emotionally loaded and high-commitment as dating, then imagine just how effective it can be in a much more practical, less-intense arena like business networking.

And here is where our argument comes full circle: if a face-to-face meeting is essential for business success, and there are more people attending a conference or event then you could possibly meet in a day (or even a week) period, then why on earth would you risk squandering that time shuffling through small-talk with the wrong people? It’s awareness of these little decisions that take a company from good to great. Here at Zerista, we would argue that the great companies in our future are the ones who, today, see how powerful social networking technology is, and recognize that if it can pair people well enough that they can spend the rest of their lives together, it certainly should be able to help you select the connections that will be most valuable for you to spend that precious face-to-face time nurturing at an event.

 

Featured image is property of Rolling Stone magazine online, SXSW 2011.