“Since you’ll inevitably find yourself in this situation, you might as well be prepared for it.”
Networking isn’t dead, but it has changed forever.
Before looking at how to survive the standard networking event, and even get something out of it, let’s look at the ideal networking. The best way to grow a network is to do things that serve something you’re passionate about with other people who are passionate about the same thing. As you all serve, you’ll get to know one another and build relationships that are super fulfilling and long-lasting. So if you’re investing time in growing your network, start with shared experiences and know that you’ll meet new people along the way.
But let’s accept that networking events of old probably aren’t going away. You know that I’m talking about – that sweet, sweet opportunity to have the same conversation 5 or 6 times over heavy apps. You walk out with a handful of new business cards, but you won’t use most of them. Even when the opportunity arises that you need someone who does the very thing you just got a card for, your more likely to ask a few friends who they recommend and go with those recommendations.
Since you’ll inevitably find yourself in this situation, you might as well be prepared for it.
Step 1 – Understand what networking is really about. Simply put, it’s building deep relationships with people over a long period of time. It’s nearly impossible to create that shared experience in a few short minutes. The best you can hope for is enough of a common interest to agree to get together later.
Step 2 – Know yourself. If you’re going to do this thing right, you have to know what you’re all about, like at a personal level. If you walk into a room of people you don’t know and give off the “I really want you to be my client” vibe, you might not have a successful evening. You’re going to be a hell of a lot more successful in creating new connections if you just get to know people personally. Openly talk about your love of competitive Lego building and you’ll find “your people” in that room.
Step 3 – Do a little prep work. Give some thought to some questions you can ask folks to get conversation going. Most people are happy to pontificate, especially if you’re asking their feedback. In their responses, you’ll likely find the entry point to deeper conversation and can choose to pursue it or not. For example, I love to find out people’s backstory, so I ask questions about where they’re from and how they got to where they are now. My genuine interest comes through and the conversation gets rolling.
Step 4 – Just accept the fact that it’s going to be awkward. Unless you’re in that super small part of the population that naturally owns the room, you probably feel a little awkward walking into these things. That’s ok. Just accept that it’s going to happen and don’t let it hold you up.
Step 5 is simple. After you leave the event, take a step back and decide if you want to get to know any of your new business cards better. If you do, drop a note and see if they’re open to coffee. Then it’s as simple as building toward a shared experience that will deepen the relationship.
You have experience that would help others. Why not share it? Share your Real Life Experience with us!
Photo by Peter Feghali on Unsplash
