the insider's guide to networking at an event
TRANSCRIPT
INSIDER'S GUIDE TONETWORKING
The
AT AN EVENT
What is Networking?
" T h e p r o c e s s o f d e v e l o p i n g a n da c t i v a t i n g y o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p s t o i n c r e a s ey o u r b u s i n e s s , e n h a n c e y o u r k n o w l e d g e ,e x p a n d y o u r s p h e r e o f i n f l u e n c e o r s e r v e
t h e c o m m u n i t y . "
- I v a n M i s n e r F o u n d e r o f B N I
Why Network?
I n t o d a y ' s w o r l d i t ' s a b o u t w h o k n o w s y o u N O Tw h a t y o u k n o w .N e t w o r k i n g i s s t i l l t h e M O S T p o w e r f u l m a r k e t i n gt a c t i c t i l l d a t e .T o s u c c e e d y o u m u s t c o n t i n u a l l y c o n n e c t w i t h n e wp e o p l e , c u l t i v a t e e m e r g i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n dl e v e r a g e y o u r n e t w o r k .
How to Network?
N e t w o r k i n g c a n b e v e r y e x c i t i n g f o r s o m e a n d i t c a nb e d a u n t i n g f o r o t h e r s . T o m a k e y o u r l i f e e a s y , Ih a v e l i s t e d o u t s t e p s y o u c a n t a k e b e a n e f f e c t i v en e t w o r k e r a t a n e v e n t .
1. Find events to attend
W h e n w e f i r s t m a k e a d e c i s i o n o n w a n t i n g t o g r o w o u rn e t w o r k s w e o f t e n d o n ’ t k n o w w h e r e t o s t a r t o r w h a t e v e n t s t oa t t e n d .
T h e t h r e e a c t i o n s t e p s I w o u l d r e c o m m e n d o n f i n d i n g e v e n t s t og r o w y o u r n e t w o r k w o u l d b e :
F i n d o u t w h o t h e f i v e p r i m e p e o p l e y o u w a n t t o m e e t a r e a n dw h e r e t h e y n e t w o r k . T h i s i s i m p o r t a n t a s o u r f o c u s s h o u l d b ef o c u s i n g o n t h e t y p e s o f p e o p l e w e a r e l o o k i n g f o rF i n d o u t a b o u t o r g a n i z a t i o n y o u s h o u l d j o i nJ o i n M e e t u p . c o m a n d e v e n t b r i b e . c o m t o f i n d e v e n t sh a p p e n i n g i n y o u r a r e a
Mission 2: Before an event
W h e n w e f i r s t m a k e a d e c i s i o n o n w a n t i n g t o g r o w o u r n e t w o r k sw e o f t e n d o n ’ t k n o w w h e r e t o s t a r t o r w h a t e v e n t s t o a t t e n d . T h et h r e e a c t i o n s t e p s I w o u l d r e c o m m e n d o n f i n d i n g e v e n t s t o g r o wy o u r n e t w o r k w o u l d b e :
F i n d o u t w h o t h e f i v e p r i m e p e o p l e y o u w a n t t o m e e t a r e a n dw h e r e t h e y n e t w o r k . T h i s i s i m p o r t a n t a s o u r f o c u s s h o u l d b ef o c u s i n g o n t h e t y p e s o f p e o p l e w e a r e l o o k i n g f o rF i n d o u t a b o u t o r g a n i z a t i o n y o u s h o u l d j o i nJ o i n M e e t u p . c o m a n d e v e n t b r i b e . c o m t o f i n d e v e n t s h a p p e n i n gi n y o u r a r e a
Mission 3: At the event
S h o w u p e a r l y , b e h a p p y , e n t h u s i a s t i c a n d p o s i t i v e . P e o p l el o v e b e i n g s u r r o u n d e d w i t h a w i n n e r !S t a n d n e a r t h e e n t r a n c e e a r l y a n d a t t h e e n d o f t h e e v e n t ,t h i s w a y i t a l l o w s y o u t o m e e t a s m u c h p e o p l e a s p o s s i b l e .A s y o u w a l k a r o u n d t h e c r o w d a t l e a s t t w i c e g e t f a m i l i a r w i t hp e o p l e i n t h e r o o m . T a r g e t t h e k e y p e o p l e y o u w o u l d l i k e t om e e t .E a t e a r l y , I t ’ s h a r d t o e a t a n d m i n g l eS t a y u n t i l t h e e n d : T h e l o n g e r y o u s t a y t h e m o r e c o n t a c t y o uw i l l m a k e
Mission 4: Interaction
The objective of each interaction should be to establish connection and set anappointment if they are the type of people you are looking forTo best effectively get to know someone as well as meet as much as possible 5-10min intro should be enough. You will be able to get to know the person more at adeeper level during the set appointment you have set for each otherEstablish common interest by finding out what they do for work, personal interestsuch as finding out what they do outside of work or what they are doing nextweekend.
S a y t h e o t h e r p e r s o n ’ s n a m e a t l e a s t t w i c e a s i t h e l p sy o u r e m e m b e r t h e i r n a m e a n d h e a r i n g t h e i r o w n n a m e i st h e m o s t p l e a s i n g w o r d t o t h e i r e a r sC o n f i r m t h e n e x t a c t i o n p l a n w h i c h i s t o b o o k a na p p o i n t m e n t a f t e r t h e e v e n tW r i t e i n f o a b o u t t h e p e r s o n i m m e d i a t e l y o n t h e i rb u s i n e s s c a r d o r a p a p e rI n a n e v e n t i t s b e s t t o s p l i t y o u r i n t e r a c t i o n t i m eb e t w e e n p e o p l e y o u d o n ’ t k n o w f o r 7 5 % o f y o u r t i m e a n d2 5 % o f y o u r t i m e f o r p e o p l e y o u k n o w . W h i l e i n t e r a c t i n gw i t h p e o p l e , m a k e s u r e t h e y f i t t h e t y p e o f p e o p l e t h a ty o u w a n t t o i n t e r a c t w i t h . I t ’ s i m p o r t a n t n o t t o w a s t et i m e .
Mission 5: After the event
K e e p i n c o n t a c t m o n t h l y o r w e e k l y w i t h y o u r c o n t a c t sw i l l h e l p b u i l d s t r o n g r e l a t i o n s h i p s t h a t w i l l m u t u a l l yh e l p y o u a n d t h e m i n t a k i n g e i t h e r y o u r c a r e e r o rb u s i n e s s t o t h e n e x t l e v e l .