Ten Tips for Effective Networking In-Person
April 23rd, 2011
Nowadays, most people seem to be solely focused on social networking online. And, yes, while I am a firm believer that social media communities, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, are AMAZING tools for making connections and business building, I find that many clients I work with tend to forget about “the other” type of networking…attending industry mixers and professional association gatherings!
Quite honestly, I find that attending in-person networking events can typically yield me positive business results faster than online networking. Therefore, I make an effort to include in-person networking in my business-building mix. But, I also find that people are not that great at using their valuable in-person networking time wisely. So I often spend time coaching my clients on networking at events so that they are comfortable attending and get the most out of them.
That said, here are Ten Tips I recommend to make your in-person networking efforts a success:
- Show-up with your business cards! People often forget their cards, or only bring a few, and that’s embarrassing. Bring a good-sized stack with you so you don’t run out. Some people you meet may ask for several because they may know other people that need your product or services!
- Don’t be shy. Remember, everyone is there to meet new people, so you are all in the same boat. Find someone standing alone or a small group of people, walk up, extend your hand (for a FIRM shake), smile and introduce yourself. It’ll feel weird the first couple of times but people who network a lot are used to strangers approaching them. And if you say it’s your first time attending the mixer, they’ll normally want to help you meet other people.
- Practice your 30-second “personal infomercial” before you arrive. When someone asks what you do, be able to explain your business in 30 seconds or less. DO NOT bore people with a long sales pitch or a bumbling explanation about your small business.
- You should take an interest in the people you meet first. It’s common to blab on about yourself when you’re nervous, so make a conscious effort to ask people questions and LISTEN to what they share closely.
- Depending on the length of the mixer, try not to spend more than 5-10 minutes with each person. You’re there to meet people! Now if you’re really enjoying yourself with someone, and/or you’re talking to what may be a potential client, maybe spend a bit more time. BUT, KEEP IN MIND, they may want to be moving on to meet more people, too, so don’t monopolize their time. They might be too shy to excuse themselves, so be mindful of time, and watch their eyes and body language!
- If alcohol is being served, don’t overdo it. I’ve seen quite a few people start the evening making a great impression and then, after a few drinks, it spirals downhill.
- Make a lot of eye contact with people and smile! It’s all about human contact, and smiling will draw people to you. Yet when most people get nervous they sit on the sidelines and hope people will come to them. A genuine, warm smile will relax people you meet and will make connecting with you more inviting.
- Practice being a good conversationalist. Rather than just talk about you and your company (or theirs), have a few interesting questions memorized, and ask about kids, travel, previous jobs, pets, sports, current events, etc. Also, by really listening to people (which many people aren’t great at!) questions will come up naturally that you can ask to keep the conversation going. And, personally, I avoid topics around religion and politics.
- If someone approaches a group you’re talking to…immediately extend your hand, smile, and make them feel welcome.
- Send a hand written follow-up note to all the people you meet (mail them within 1-2 days). The immediate thought is to send e-mail, but a good ‘ol fashioned “Nice meeting you” thank you card, sent via snail mail, makes a BIG impression on people…because people rarely send them nowadays!
Okay, now find some good association mixers and industry events in your area, and try to attend at least 1-2 per month. There is a very good chance you’ll reap the benefits of your networking efforts quickly, such as: See your connection database grow quickly; find new opportunities otherwise missed; and attract new clients to generate more income!
And, here’s a great quote I’ll leave you with on this topic (but I can’t remember who said it): Take your offline contacts online, and your online contacts offline…I think that’s great advice.
And if you have a helpful networking tip to share, please share it!
Cheers & Happy Marketing!
Lisa
Tags: business, coaching, events, marketing, networking, small business, social media
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on Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 at 5:01 pm and is filed under Business Coaching, Business Tips, marketing, sales.
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Thank you great advice!
Great tips Lisa! I always struggle with #2 – I’m more of the wallflower than the social butterfly. 🙂