50 Tips for Networking at Events

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Copyright 2013 © Position Ignition – 50 Tips for Networking at Events www.positionignition.com Follow us @PosIgnition www.careerignitionclub.com 1 50 Tips for Networking at Events A Step by Step Guide to Networking at Events

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50 Tips

for Networking at Events

A Step by Step Guide

to Networking at Events

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Going to an event where there could be hundreds of people all trying to promote themselves can sound like looking for a needle in a haystack in terms of networking. However, if you prepare yourself thoroughly and you know what to do and where to go once at an event, face-to-face networking can be one of the most personal and therefore effective forms of networking there is. Here, the Position Ignition team of career experts have put together their top 50 tips on how to network effectively at events. These tips aim to help you to get the most out of your networking activities and to harness your new connections. For a more detailed overview of networking see our 135 Networking Career Tips. For now, let’s get started…

1. Before attending the event or before walking into the room, remind yourself who you are and why you are there. You are using your precious time to network and to find some useful connections, so remind yourself of this fact and make sure that this isn’t energy being wasted. Set yourself a few targets like – ‘I’m going to speak to 3 new people this evening’ or ‘I’m going try to learn at least 2 new pieces of information or gossip’, and see if you can make it happen.

2. Show professionalism and confidence through what you wear. By dressing smartly you are more likely to feel like a

serious professional and hence act like one. Smart clothes can make you feel more confident so make sure you choose something that you are comfortable in and which makes you look and feel the part.

3. Be aware of your handshake. Make sure it’s a strong and confident handshake where you make eye contact and smile

as you greet your new potential contact. It may sound simple but it’s a very effective way to make a positive impression so make sure that you aren’t offering someone a limp fish or bone crusher handshake!

4. Arrive early. Good networkers arrive nice and early in order to get themselves in order. Sort out your business cards,

make them readily available, take some time to get used to the surroundings, relax, go to the restrooms if you need to and then focus on learning about the other people in the room with you.

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5. Make a focused plan before you enter an event, otherwise you’ll

find yourself aimlessly floating around the room, not knowing what to do or who to talk to. Decide on what you’re going to do first, be it stand by the coffee table, talk to someone enjoying the sun in the venue’s gardens or strike up a conversation with the person manning the first information or product stand you come to.

6. Focus on your elevator pitch. This isn’t about selling yourself by

talking at someone, this is about being able to articulate and succinctly describe who you are, what you do and what you’re at the event for. You will want to make it as concise as possible. Be specific. That is the key here. If you’re seeking a role, make sure you can name the particular type of work, role and type of organisation you’re looking for. The more specific you can be, the more helpful someone can be to you.

7. Be sure not to tell people too much at once. The point of an

elevator pitch is that it’s concise enough for you to get out in the time it takes for an elevator to travel between floors. If you try to tell someone everything about you, they’ll either feel overwhelmed or bored. Tell them the important things and trust that you’ll continue getting to know one another beyond the event, if that’s what you want.

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8. Be positive and leave any troubles or

worries you have behind. If you’ve had a bad day, are nervous or have many things on your mind, try to put them aside for the event. Take a couple of deep breathes before entering the main networking area and go in thinking as positively as you can. You are here to learn, to meet people, to have fun and to discover whatever you can.

9. Wear a name tag. Some networking or group events will have name tags provided for you but if not, it may seem silly

but can be incredibly helpful to make your name easily visible to those you are meeting. If you have a name tag, wear it on your right so that it can be easily read and visible when shaking hands with people.

10. Request in advance a copy of the attendee list. To be really focused and prepared before entering the event, identify

who you would like to talk to and make sure you get to them in the event. Ask the organizers for the attendee list to help you plan your targets, and research the names that you’ve heard of or whose job titles leap out at you so you know more about them before approaching them.

11. If you know the event organizer personally and they are around during the event, why not see if they will help

introduce you to some of the key people at the event or on your target list. Having a warm introduction will work in your favour and make the process of networking easier. It will also save time in terms of you trying to find specific people you don’t know yourself.

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12. You could also ask the event organizer to introduce you to people who they think you’ll find it valuable to meet. If

the organizer knows you well, they’ll know the right people to introduce you to.

13. Another way to seek out a specific attendee is by connecting with that person beforehand via LinkedIn. Tell them that you’ll be at the event they’re going to and arrange to meet with them at the event.

14. If someone you’ve already met, and are interested in getting to know, on a deeper level is going to the same event as

you, arrange to meet them beforehand, preferably at the train station or outside the venue if you don’t know the inside of the venue. That way you won’t miss one another and can use the time you have together to build upon your connection.

15. If you’re attending the event with people you already know well—such as colleagues and friends—don’t stick

together for the whole event. Talking to people you already know will lessen your chances of meeting new people or people you’ve only met once before.

16. One way to separate yourself from people you know and get near to those you don’t is to deliberately sit next to

someone you don’t know during a talk or a meal that takes place during the event.

17. Turn your phone off. If you’ re not expecting any important calls and no one will need to contact you in event of emergency, turn your mobile off for the whole event. This will save you getting interrupted mid-conversation or missing out on valuable mingling time in between conference or seminar sessions. It is also showing respect to the event.

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18. Listen hard. Rather than talking at people about yourself, spend quality time really listening to what others have to say and what they are looking for. The more you listen, the more you will learn and the more helpful you can be to the person you are networking with.

19. Ask questions and be curious. Find out as much as you can about the person you are networking with. Aim to get

them talking for at least 60% of the time so that they have the opportunity to speak and to tell you their story. The more information you gather from them, the more you can gear your answers and what you say to really land with them.

20. Be memorable. By really engaging in conversation, by

wanting to learn about someone’s life, experiences, career and needs – you will become memorable to them because you are taking the time to get to know them, to listen and to care.

21. Go easy on the alcohol. Depending on the event, there might

be alcohol there. It might seem like a good idea to down a few drinks in order to lower your inhibitions, but you don’t want to lower them too much! Try not drinking at all, or else stick to just the one.

22. Mingle by the food and coffee. It’s completely acceptable to

help yourself to food and soft drinks and it can also be a great place and way to strike up conversation with others. These areas tend to be well populated and by reaching for food it also gives you something to do which can take away some of the intimidation of solely being in need of finding people to talk to!

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23. Look for people in smaller groups or standing alone. Often these people will be happy to talk as they may also be

finding it hard and awkward to network effectively and break into larger group formations.

24. Observe the layout of the room and group formations in there before choosing who to approach. Look for people who are most likely to respond positively to you approaching them to talk. These would be individuals standing alone who are waiting for someone to talk to, open groups of 2s and 3s. Groups of 2s and 3s where people’s bodies are facing outwards, suggest that they are having a casual conversation and would be happy for others to join in.

25. Avoid closed groups. Try to notice larger groups or groups of 2s and 3s where people appear to be facing inwards and

where their bodies are close together or turned towards each other. These are known as closed groups where people are probably comfortable as they are, are enjoying deep conversations and where another addition to the group could be unwelcomed.

26. Break the ice. It’s one thing to place yourself in the path of people you could strike up a conversation with, but how

exactly do you start a conversation with them? Don’t feel like you have to say something profound. Breaking the ice can be as simple as commenting on the venue, the talk / speaker, the food, asking a person where they’ve travelled in from or if they’ve been to the event or venue before. Also asking what made them come along to the event can strike up good conversation and put you both on the same page in your thinking as well.

27. Alternatively, try to catch the person’s eye, smile, offer your hand and introduce yourself by name. You can’t imagine

the impact of a welcoming, warm smile. It helps to put others at ease, it tells you that you are open to having a conversation and that you are ready to start exploring a potentially very interesting conversation with someone.

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28. When introducing yourself by name it can be helpful to say your first name twice and then say your surname. So “Hello I’m Simon…(pause), Simon North”. This helps people to register your name.

29. However you introduce yourself, try to act and be confident whilst doing so. Looking down at the floor whilst

offering your hand for example sends mixed signals and won’t give a good first impression. Try to act confidently, be friendly and genuine, and you will be taken seriously. You should also hopefully start to feel more confident in yourself as you begin to get good feedback and positive reactions to you.

30. Ask open-ended questions. Think about questions

that will open up conversation and enable someone to talk about something from a range of different angles and for as long as they want to. Open-ended questions are those that ask – who, what, where, when and how – as opposed to questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. You want to be opening up discussions to explore ideas and opinions and also so that you can show your listening skills.

31. Listen carefully and try to remember other people’s

names. Show that you are listening when you get introduced to someone by referring to them by name e.g. “Nice to meet you Roger”. Another good time to use their name is when you part ways. It creates a good impression, is personal and will make you

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more memorable to your new connection.

32. Offer to eat or drink with someone. If you get talking to someone who you think you might want a longer conversation with, think about inviting them to get some food with you. At most networking events, there are tables where you can sit or stand so you and your contact can take the time to eat together and keep on connecting at your own pace.

33. Once you’ve been talking to someone for a while, one good thing to ask them is how they fell into their current line

of work. It makes them feel good to talk about themselves and also gives you more of an insight into what this person is about and what their work entails.

34. Think about body language. Your body language and those of others. Think about what types of postures and poses

are welcoming to others versus what positions are cold and distant. Be observant of others in order to read who will be more willing and open to talking to you and use your own body language to help others feel at ease in your presence.

35. If you want to join larger groups, one way to do it is if you know someone already in that larger group. Go up to them

and see if they’ll introduce you to some of the others or at the very least they’ll be happy to make room for you as to enter into the group and conversation.

36. If you aren’t confident saying a lot in a group, don’t worry. It’s fine to listen into the conversation for a while to get

up to speed with what everyone is talking about. Eventually there should be something for you to grab hold of and then start contributing to more naturally than trying to initiate a conversation from the outset.

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37. Once you’re in a conversation, either with one person or a group try telling a story to engage them and make them remember you. Make it relevant to the conversation. It could be about a project you recently worked on, a business area your employer is expanding into, a work experience placement your recently completed or something else to do with your current work or target job.

38. If you get stuck for topics to talk about think about the following aspects of a person’s life: work, family, hobbies,

travel, the news. It’s usually fairly safe to ask people about what they do for a living, where they have travelled in from, what their role entails and how they may have got into that line of work. Exploring what hobbies people have, where they originally come from, where they grew up, and what trips or holidays they’ve had recently are also good topics to talk about casually. Then if there’s something topical going on in the news you may want to ask someone for their view on it – but do avoid topics such as religion or politics as those and spark of heated arguments or conflicts in opinion which you probably don’t want to happen.

39. Don’t feel obliged to stick around. Whether you’re talking

one-on-one with someone or have joined a group, if it turns out that you have nothing in common with them and wouldn’t find it valuable to build a connection, politely excuse yourself after a few minutes or once you’ve finished lunch. Still treat the person—or group of people—with respect and listen to what they have to say, just don’t feel like you have to stick by them until the end of the event.

40. Similarly, don’t hog one person’s attention. It’s unlikely that

someone at an event is there to meet just you so don’t get carried away in conversation for too long as it prevents both

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of you from making other good connections. If you feel there is more to explore with someone, perhaps suggest that you continue over a coffee another time and exchange contact details so you can follow up, then move on to find another useful connection.

41. Practise your listening skills. Don’t just go through the motions of having a conversation with someone, or a group of

people. Focus on what they’re saying and reply according to what they’ve told you, not according to what you want to tell them. Make sure you are capturing detailed information about what you are discussing and about the people you meet.

42. Maintain eye contact. Looking over someone’s head whilst

they’re talking to you is rude and disconcerting. If you’re going to have a conversation with someone, have the courtesy to look them in the eye to show that you’re talking to them—not at them—and that you’re listening.

43. Offer to help where you can and don’t expect anything in return.

Genuine offers for help go down well and show that you are willing to give and to offer your expertise where you can. If you are able to help someone they will naturally feel indebted to you and will want to help you in anyway that they can.

44. Be selective in who you give business cards to. Make each one

count rather than handing them out like a meaningless pamphlet or something similar. It’s not about volume it’s about quality contacts.

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45. Collect only meaningful and useful business cards from other connections. Just as you shouldn’t give out loads of

your business cards without selecting who you are trying to build a relationship with, don’t go around collecting as many cards as you can get your hands on. Only take cards from people that you want to build a fruitful business relationship with.

46. Know your priorities. You will be in a much better position at the end of the event if you have listened more than you

have talked at people and also if you have collected more business cards than you have handed out. Make sure the ball is in your court by collecting business cards so you can definitely make contact and listen carefully so you know what to contact them about.

47. Exchanging business cards is pointless if you don’t actually keep in touch afterwards. Initially meeting someone at an

event and exchanging cards should only be the start of your relationship with them. To really build a connection, get in contact with them as soon after you meet them as you can. Just a short email or phone call to say that it was nice to meet them is better than not getting in contact with them for months and then phoning them and having to remind them who you are when you need something.

48. Straight after the event, make a note of who you’ve met and any information about them which will help you

remember your meeting with them. Using the back of their business card is a good place to put down a few notes about who they are, how they can help you, how you were going to help them and so on. It’s important to remember each connection so that you can continue to build on your initial meeting.

49. Don’t wait to be followed up. Even if the person specifically said that they’d follow you up, don’t wait on them. They

might forget or suddenly get shy, so follow them up as soon as possible regardless of who was ‘meant to be’ calling who.

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50. Attempt to follow up more than once. Even if you get in contact with a person and they don’t respond, don’t give up

on them. Perhaps they’re busy, went abroad, always lose track of emails to reply to or are currently unable to access they’re voicemail. It may even take more than two attempts to get a response, but if the person could really be worth building a relationship with, it’s worth persisting.

Recommended Follow Up eBooks

• 135 Networking Career Tips

• 125 LinkedIn Job Search Tips

• 125 Twitter Job Search Tips

• Sell Yourself with Confidence

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More Position Ignition eBooks…

• How to Get the Job You Want

• How to Ace the Interview

• 125 Personal Branding Tips

• Re-Launching Your Career After

Redundancy

• Up Your Game, Up Your Pay

• Get Paid Right, From the Start

• 100 Essential Career Change Tips

• Make Your Career Change Happen

• 85 Mid-Life Career Change Tips

• Moving into Retirement in the 21st Century

View all Position Ignition eBooks: www.positionignition.com/ebooks

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Contact Us Position Ignition Ltd is one of the UK’s leading career consulting and career management companies. Founded in late 2009 by Simon North and Nisa Chitakasem, they have brought together some of the best career guides in the industry, providing much needed high quality career support and guidance to professional working men and women. Position Ignition helps working professionals to identify where they would like to go next, what roles they will find fulfilling and how to go about getting it. Their focus is on helping people to make successful career changes, establish smart job search strategies, find focus and direction in their careers and take control of their own career development. Position Ignition offers support through one on one career guiding, career webinars, eBooks and through their Career Ignition Club. They regularly offer expert advice in the media and press including being featured regularly on Guardian Career Clinics and on Forbes. They also offer a free initial phone consultation via their website if you would like to find out more or explore how they can help you. Alternatively visit their www.careerignitionclub.com website to get access to on-going career support or contact us on: [email protected] Career Advice Blog: www.positionignition.com/blog Follow @PosIgnition Like Position Ignition: www.facebook.com/PositionIgnition We hope that you have found this eBook useful! For comments, feedback or suggestions email us at: [email protected]