Building strong business connections has always been a cornerstone of success. Creating meaningful relationships and nurturing professional bonds with a wide variety of people can unlock exciting opportunities and collaborations, driving growth, influence and impact. But as I keep telling my students, while human communication hasn’t changed much in thousands of years, artificial intelligence (AI) opens up new means to do so, claiming to overtake many aspects of communication and make it more efficient.
As I’ve been researching the practices and evolution of business relationships for over a decade, there are several core issues people face around business networking:
- One key challenge is the false perception individuals hold of themselves in relation to networking — they either “have it” or not.
- The second key challenge is the fact that building relationships takes time and energy, and people often lack the motivation to “work” on their networking to achieve those valuable connections and ultimately, desired results.
So, can AI replace the human touch in connecting with others?
This is a common question I pose during my worldwide lectures. My answer is: I don’t believe so for the current version of AI, but it can be used to support the “groundwork” aspects of networking.
Networking work consists of many small, repetitive actions such as: researching others, identifying common ground, effective communication, composing emails, creating social media posts and skillful follow-ups (where many of us tend to fail). With that in mind, the integration of artificial intelligence and networking has the potential to create a new era of efficiency, personalization and unparalleled insights than ever before.
This is why I would like to share common networking use cases and highlight some transformative AI tools that, if harnessed effectively, can literally reshape and support how we connect with others, cultivate our personal brand, expand our networks, establish meaningful connections and navigate the realm of business relationships towards business results.
Related: AI Can Replace (Some) Jobs — But It Can’t Replace Human Connection. Here’s Why.
1. Enhanced communication with Crystal Knows
Want to know how to communicate in a way that will enhance bonding and resonate with other people? These goals can become even harder to achieve when communicating through email. Crystal Knows integrates with email platforms to offer AI-driven insights on effective communication. This tool analyzes data to guide professionals in tailoring their messages and approaches to different personalities, leading to more impactful interactions and stronger connections.
It harnesses the power of data analysis to suggest relevant connections and identify trends, conversation topics and hidden connections. These insights empower professionals to make informed networking decisions and uncover promising opportunities within their network.
3. Automate relationship building with Connection Fox
Maintaining our network is the “working” in the word “networking” — many people don’t like it. Connection Fox helps keep your network engaged without fake-looking automation, as it keeps track of one’s important contacts, gets reminders to keep the relationship alive and schedules messages for future delivery so you can look like a superhero. Additionally, there is FullContact, which consolidates and enriches contact details, including social media profiles. This comprehensive database enables professionals to effectively manage their network and ensure they have up-to-date information on their connections and by that, support communication and decision making.
Related: Lacking Balance in Your Business? 5 Ways Automation Can Help You Achieve Peace of Mind
4. Efficient meeting summaries can be done with Fireflies
This AI meeting assistant employs natural language processing (NLP) to eliminate the need for note-taking during meetings. This tool records, transcribes and searches voice conversations, streamlining meeting preparation and enhancing engagement and helps build relationships right where you left the last conversation.
5. LinkedIn engagement can be taken care of with Ideta
This AI assistant manages your LinkedIn engagement by responding to messages and generating AI-crafted comments on posts. This tool offers consistent engagement while allowing users to maintain control over their interactions.
6. Build your brand on LinkedIn with Taplio
As a professional, you don’t have the privilege of not building a brand these days — and you must do so online by posting professional information in a timely and consistent manner. Taplio will enable one to create great content, schedule posts at optimal times and monitor your results.
Related: 3 Ways AI is Changing How Startups Build Their Brand
Ready for an AI-powered networking future?
As AI becomes more and more integrated into our lives, the evolution of AI tools for business networking holds promise. We can anticipate the development of even more sophisticated AI tools designed to assist professionals in maximizing their networking communication and preparation, enhancing their LinkedIn experience and streamlining the networking process to unprecedented levels and beyond.
The ultimate objective is clear: to make networking not only efficient but also highly effective and deeply personalized. With AI as the driving force, we’re approaching a future where networking becomes a seamless and enjoyable endeavor.
And just a friendly reminder, no matter how you choose to utilize it, please don’t lose your human touch. Deal?
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