Articles

Wednesday, 18 June 2014 05:37

How To Make The Most Out of a Business Networking Event Featured

Written by
Rate this item
(0 votes)

How To Make The Most Out of a Business Networking Event

You’re not alone. Most people are uncomfortable walking into a roomful of strangers. But networking at business events can help you grow your business, as well as allow you to do hands-on marketing research. Learning to mingle and to follow-up with business networking contacts is crucial to your self-employment success. The following techniques will assist you in connecting effectively with others.

 

Before the Event

Come prepared to network by bringing business cards, a pen and a small notebook. Make sure you eat before you go. If it’s a cocktail party, or finger foods are being served during the networking portion of the meeting, it’s better to carry only a drink, instead of trying to juggle a plate of food.

Know your goals: What is your purpose for attending this particular event? To meet certain people? To find prospective customers? To find a resource you need? Meet a new friend? Nurture existing relationships? Bring 20 business cards and promise yourself you won't leave until you've given out all the cards. Ask for other people's cards if you sincerely want to keep in touch with them. Not everyone you meet will be a good resource.

Ask the event host about dress code. Some events are Business Formal and people will be wearing business suites. Some events are Business Casual and there will be a mix of more relaxed styles. By knowing in advance what to expect, you maximize the feeling of being part of the group.

 

At the Event

First, arrive early. Get there early when the group is small and manageable. Enter the room with a smile. Even if you feel nervous, “act as if.” If you have a smile on your face, you will be perceived as approachable, enthusiastic, and friendly. (And you’ll feel a whole lot better, too!) Make sure you mingle. Do not isolate yourself with only your friends or colleagues you know. Move around. Spend no more than 5-6 minutes talking with any one person.

Ask your host to introduce you to people that you want to meet, or to get you started in a group where you know no one. If they have a Greeting Committee or Ambassadors, find out who they are and ask for help with introductions. Reach out to people standing by themselves, introduce people to each other. (As a side note, if you are part of a group or association that does not have a Greeting Committee, offer to become a one-person Greeting Committee. It gives you the perfect excuse to introduce yourself to everyone who walks in the door!)

When you meet a person, shake hands, and repeat their name. This not only helps you remember it, but it shows that you're making an effort to hear the name properly. Wear a nametag that is easy to read and is descriptive of you. Wear it on your right shoulder so that people can easily see it when they shake your hand. Create, practice and use a description of yourself and your work that can be said in 30 seconds or less. Know how to describe your work in one or two sentences. (This is commonly known as an Elevator Speech because it reflects what you can say in the time it takes to get from the ground floor to the top floor in an elevator.)

Listen more than you talk. Remember that there is nothing more flattering than someone who listens carefully and shows sincere interest in other people. Ask questions and listen to the responses so that you begin to understand the person. This also helps you to identify who might be a potential client for your own products and services. Take notes to help you remember what people have said. When you get back to the office, put all this information into your contact management software.

 

After The Event

Once you have someone’s business card, make sure you follow up with them within 24 hours of the event. If there’s an obvious win-win connection with someone you’ve met at an event, call them up and invite them to lunch to explore the connection further. When you write the networking event into your calendar, also add one or two hours the following day into your calendar for follow-up so that you know you have time to complete the task.

When you look upon networking events and business functions as an opportunity to meet new people, do some market research, and find potential clients, it can become a joy instead of a chore. Going in with a game plan makes you feel like you can really make the most of the event.


Karyn Greenstreet is a self-employment expert and small business coach. She shares tips, techniques and strategies with self-employed people to maintain motivation, stay focused, prioritize tasks, and increase revenue and profits. Visit her website at www.PassionForBusiness.com


Click here to return to the index of Articles


Read 896 times Last modified on Sunday, 14 November 2021 20:01

Comments powered by CComment

Latest Posts

  • Sakshi
    I have been in a state of ‘emotional unwell-being’ for seven years. There, I’ve said it. Why? Well, after my father died, I believed that if I reached out with love to ‘good friends’, counsellors, suitors, and relatives, there could be pockets of joy to offset my grief and loneliness,…
  • The Creative Industry Needs to Look at Things Differently Post Budget 2022
    On 29 October 2021, the Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz tabled Budget 2022 in the Malaysian parliament. RM50 million has been allocated for the arts and culture industry. This comes after a year and a half after the entire industry came to an absolute standstill. With…
  • ‘The Covid Positives’ – life lessons learnt from the pandemic by Phanindra Ivatury
    After a long drawn battle with the biggest catastrophe in our living memory, global humanity is finally getting to see some quintessential ray of light at the end of the treacherous tunnel in the form of COVID-19 vaccines, currently being rolled out to all parts of the globe. A ‘COVID-19…
  • Chaos of Whole Books
    Is it possible to read several books at once? Aneeta Sundararaj finds out. When I was a child, my cousin used to boast that he could read four storybooks at a time. As an adult, when he invested in an e-Reader, he continued to boast that he could…
  • Writing for You? Or for Me?
    Writing for You? Or for Me? ‘You must always write with your reader in mind.’ This was one of the first pieces of advice that I received when I began my writing career. Honestly, I found this extremely hard to do because more often than not, I couldn’t picture my…