A person begins to acquire useful connections and acquaintances the moment he enters society, and values them very much It is believed that a real French woman will never give out the phone number of her beautician and butcher This information is capital accumulated over the years of her life, which she does not consider necessary to share with strangers The French and not only them understand that established contacts help solve problems in any field of activity - from business to personal relationships According to the British, a person weaves networks from acquaintances by doing networking Relationships are formed while studying at a university and at a business meeting, through membership in closed clubs and communication on social networks Professionals who help create business connections celebrate October 16 as Networking Day It is known that you can reach the Queen of England through five handshakes This expression is a clear illustration of how useful connections and a wide circle of communication can open doors to a new world The sociological theory of six handshakes was formulated in 1969 by American psychologist Stanley Milgram His research showed that two random people can contact each other through five mutual acquaintances This opportunity significantly saves time and money for business people, which is why Milgram’s theory has been adopted by networking Peter Dodds, who conducted an experiment in 2003 with 24 thousand people from different parts of the world, decided to check how the rule of six handshakes works in the 21st century They needed to deliver the letter to a public figure At first glance, the advent of the Internet and new methods of communication should have speeded up communication in the chain and access to a famous person However, it turned out that everything is not so simple In the 60s of the last century, people communicated in person, willingly providing services to friends and acquaintances Turning to virtual acquaintances reduces the likelihood of a successful outcome by 13 times Online friends do not respond to requests as actively as people with whom a person communicates in person Despite this nuance, networking is an effective business tool Putting the theory of six handshakes into practice helps a company find new clients, attract investors and sponsors, speakers and guests to the conference Professionals teach you how to find the right people and develop connections They tell you how to make acquaintances, establish contacts and maintain communication with business partners In honor of the holiday, networking specialists are offering to use their services for free On October 16, themed business meetings and parties are organized where people can get to know each other and expand their social circle For Networking Day, master classes are organized, trainings and other events are held, where participants practice the skills of finding useful contacts and business communication skills