Friday, June 30, 2017
Preparations For Successful Networking
When you have decided you should start
networking or become a more efficient and successful networker you can, and
probably should, make it easier for yourself and also increase the chances of
success by making solid and thoughtful preparations.
These preparations include everything from
mindset down to details such as dress code and nice business cards.
Mentality for networking
First out is your mentality. If you have a
negative or skeptical mindset you need to address that. Being positive and
self-confident goes a far way when it comes to being an attractive person to
communicate and spending time with. If you are positive that will have an
impact also on the people you meet, they will feel good about themselves and
associate that feeling with you and right there half the job is done.
Another
factor is to be open-minded, all the time. If you don’t give other people a
chance you will always be on the loosing side, and it doesn’t matter whom you
speak with. If you shut the door, or even hint at shutting the door, in their
face they will feel it and immediately take a step back from you, which mean
you have lost a good opportunity to meet and interact with another person.
You should
also work on getting a positive and curious attitude, learn how to show genuine
interest in other people and learn how to be an efficient communicator. It is
not as hard as it sounds, try to focus on the positives around you, find
interesting questions to ask and you are on your way to become a much more
interesting person to speak with.
Having made
these kinds of mental preparations will also help you handle the fear you might
have for a networking situation. By creating a positive script and have thought
through questions you will feel more at ease and be able to handle the fear
that is so common when we enter new situations.
Where are you going? Who will be there? What does that mean?
Needless to
say it matters a lot for networking
where you intend to do it and who you can expect to be there.
Adapting to
other people is very important. There are many different cultures, educations,
professions and interests out there. You have to understand how to deal with
these differences if you want to become an efficient networker. If you fail to
acknowledge the inter-human differences you are running the risk of becoming a
liability for the community you are active in.
This
doesn’t mean you should deny who you are and how you feel but rather you should
bring out the parts of your being that match the setting you are in and try to
be a bit careful when doing so. Eventually you will know more about the
environment you are in and then you will be able to let more of yourself out.
Is It A Professional
Networking- Or A Social Networking-Event?
When looking into what kind of event you
are considering the question of whether it is a professional or a social networking event
will be important. Many events might look like professional events but in
reality it is professionals who are socializing with each other rather than
people networking for professional
reasons and your expectations should be set accordingly. It is usually much
easier to get to the point regarding a professionally related topic at a
clearly stated professional event but on the other hand you are usually able to
build a much stronger relationship with professionals when you meet them
socially.
What Are Your Reasons For
Networking?
Finding
your way to the right networking event and having a good and prosperous
time at that networking event depends on your reasons for networking in the
first place and why networking is important for you.
Some brutal honesty is in place here. Do
you plan to network because you need it for your business or career, or because
your boss has told you to do so? Maybe you attend networking events under a
disguise of professionalism while in reality your core reasons are entirely
social – you want to make and meet friends, have a good time in general and
have no problem staying on for that extra hour or even continue the night down
town?
The honest answers to these questions
should be factored in when you decide
which events to attend and also how you act at these events. Otherwise you
might miss your target altogether and will be doing so under a cloud of general
boredom.
The
question of who will attend a certain event is rather easy to answer today as
social media and previous events are widely published and might also present
you with the opportunity to introduce yourself to other guests before actually
meeting them. If you introduce yourself online before the event you will have
the advantage of being remembered more easily when you actually do meet the
other guests at the event and that is a key success-factor for successful
networking.
If you
cannot find the appropriate event information
online you can of course place an email or a call to the organizers and ask
them, but keep in mind they most likely will exaggerate the number, seniority and
status of the expected guests.
Elevator Pitch
An elevator
pitch is a short story about yourself, your business or something else that is
important for you and that you want to communicate to somebody else. It is
called elevator pitch because you are supposed to be able to finish the story
during a short ride in an elevator.
Having one, or several, prepared pitches
about you can be a good way to feel more secure. You will have thought through
who you are and what you want to achieve and you will be prepared to
communicate that message.
Make sure they are
interesting and easy to remember.
And please don’t think this is something
odd, many people do this and the more successful they are the more time they spend
on messaging. Just consider politicians, businesses executives and others –
they have whole teams working on their messages.
Hunt in pack
If you know some of the potential guests it
might of course be a good idea to meet up prior to the event and have a little
pre chat where you also have the opportunity to meet some other newcomers in a
relaxed setting before you attend the main event together.
Having one or several wingmen at your side
at the event will make you feel more secure and thus make it more easy for you
to initiate contact with new people as you will always have your wingmen to
fall back on. Some people even bring somebody totally taken out of context just
to have a fall back friend at the event.
Where Does The Event Take Place?
The event venue
matters in many ways for networking. It is not just about finding the way there;
it is also about what is around. Are there other venues in the area that can be
used for pre-drinks, dinner, relaxed after-talks, do you know somebody working
at the venue? Have you been there before, where can you park your car, can you
eat there, are there several rooms, loud music or an opportunity to stay on
after the event is over?
Community Culture
The
community culture can be a challenge for newcomers to any event. Sometimes
events are attended by a tight-knit community where everybody at least appears
to know each other inside out and then it might feel like an obstacle for you to
break into conversations and finding your way at the event. Sometimes the
appearance of a tight-knit community is only a fiction as people act like they
known each other since childhood but in reality they have just seen each other
a few times before. This is very hard for you to know in advance though.
The same
challenge is presented by the professional cultures at various events. Industry
oriented events might feel very introvert and the guests are happy to use their
most extreme professional jargon to further emphasize how important and special
they are. If you realise the event is such an event and you are not a party to
the industry in question you might just call it a day and leave instead of
bouncing your head against the wall while looking like a fool.
Other
cultural factors are age, strictness, mono- or multi-culture and gender
division. Sometimes you will unfortunately find that some events are near fake
as they might market themselves as for “senior management” while in reality all
those seniors have sent their assistants in their place and whoever you speak
with will have almost no decision-making power at their respective companies.
The Host
At any
event special consideration should be given to the event host. Try to find out
who is the host of the event and connect with him or her prior to the event by
a short message or similar – which will make it easier for them to remember you.
The host is most likely the most networked person at the event and therefore a
key person to reach out to and say a few words to so he or she remember you. You
should also reconnect with the host before you leave the event and say a few
words of gratitude. As very few event guests do this simple thing you will
stick out from the mass and increase the chances of being remembered in a
positive way many times over.
Dress code - Stick Out Like A Peacock
All
events have a dress code. That is just a fact; the question is just if it is
stated officially or an unspoken part of the event culture.
Using the dress code to
your advantage can mean that you will be noticed in a positive way immediately
as you enter the event and that will save you a
lot of time. There are plenty of good examples of people who have used this
technique – on purpose or not – to their advantage. Colors, hairstyle, clothing
and accessories can all be used to achieve this effect.
A word of caution when using the peacock
approach – try not to look like you are from a galaxy far, far away as that
might do more damage than good. There are costume parties where you can live
out your wildest fantasies.
And, of course, before you dress up you
might want to look at photos from previous events so you know in which
direction you should stick out.
The peacock approach carries a risk so if
you are not ready for it, or feel threatened by the very idea, you should try
to fit in with the group instead of sticking out of it.
Does The Event Have A Program?
Is there a
program for the event and certain activities that will take place? The event
schedule can have an impact on when you should arrive, what if you are there to
meet people but arrive at a time when casual conversations are obstructed by a
program? Try to find out as much as possible before the event and ask the
organisers – they surely know the flow of the event regardless of whether it
has an official program or not.
What Are The Languages Spoken At The Event?
It is not
very easy to attend an event where you don’t master the language spoken. If you
need – bring a friend or a colleague that knows the event language. Surely some
people at the event will speak one or several of the more international
languages but whom they are and which international language they speak might
be harder to find out. One advantage of being the odd alien is that you are
likely to attract attention and might even be specially taken care of by other
guests or the host. Most event organisers like to boast that their events are
international.
Always Have a Good Time
Don’t get
stuck being tense or over-focused. Try to relax, smile and have a good time. Whatever
your reason for networking is your attitude will have an impact on your chances
of achieving your goal – and of just having a good time at the event.
Business Cards
Print nice and easy to understand business
cards. Make sure all relevant details are there but don’t add too much
information. The business card should be easy to read in a short time. You can
apply the peacock theory also on your business card and make it stick out so
you will easier be remembered but, again, it is a risk and it might backfire.
Read
the full article about preparation
for networking and more about how to become
successful at networking.
Anders
Östlund
Founder
of Fryday, An International Network Of Professionals
Did
you enjoy this article? There are plenty of more useful
articles on how to succeed in business at Fryday’s Business Blog.
You
are also more than welcome to post your articles at Fryday’s Business Blog.
For
blogging or other questions you can contact at info@fryday.net.
Fryday
is organizing several types of networking
events and provide social and
professional networking in cities across the world.
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