I know there are many of you out there reading this blog who are where I was a few short months ago: nervous and maybe a little scared about attending a first networking in business event.
Or maybe you’ve been before, but you’re a little rusty. You might even be feeling anxious about how your business is going. You know you’ve gotta do it, but it’s filling you with dread.
The following tactics are things I’ve used in the past to feel more confident, and to make the event a success for me. Let’s take a look:
Go. That’s right, the most important thing to do to get something out of an event is to actually show up. I don’t mean this in a flippant way, because for me the fight-or-flight response is almost always present when I have to do something that’s new. But you’ve got to admit it is tempting to say “skip it” when your friend’s husband’s sister’s cat hurts his ear and needs someone to cat-sit. No. That is not for authentic networking in business fans. Make yourself go. If you need to give yourself a little reward afterwards, that’s OK. As Nike says, just do it.
Make friends before you go. In most situations, you will have an opportunity to RSVP for an event. And in most of those situations you will find a phone number or email address of a real live person (usually the host/hostess) in your confirmation. There is nothing wrong with saying to the person who is the host, “Hey, I’ve never been to this event before. Would it be OK if I introduce myself to you when I get there, just to break the ice and feel I know someone?” They will probably be flattered… and they’ll probably hook you up with one of their friends from the group who can help you meet more people very quickly.
Bring something with your contact information on it. This may seem obvious, but fairly frequently I run into someone who doesn’t have his/her business card — and that poses a problem. It makes it more difficult to remember them, more difficult to follow up, and just plain harder. Even if you don’t yet have a business or you haven’t quite defined your services, bring something with your name, phone, and email address.
Cut out the caffeine. If you’re like me, your adrenaline gets going when you’re on your way to an event, and likely it will carry you through. I find it is a good idea to avoid caffeine (or at least cut back) when I have to attend something, because I really and truly do want to avoid feeling awful and getting sick. Trust me, it happened at my first “big” downtown PWCC event I attended. I almost had to miss it because I had enjoyed a bit too much coffee at an earlier meeting and my tummy was all topsy-turvey. And, yes, only a mother of three would describe it that way!
Make friends in line. There’s no reason to wait until you have your name tag to start networking. Some of the best contacts I’ve made at networking in business events have actually been while I was waiting in line to check in. Start off the conversation with a quick question, ask the other person if they’ve attended this event before, or (one of my faves) compliment him or her on something. The great thing is that by doing this, once you are checked in you already have at least one new friend in the room and your confidence level is rising. (Tomorrow I’ll focus on other icebreaker-kinds of questions you can ask!)
Dress professionally. Again, this might seem obvious, but you want to make a good first impression. I find that this is especially important if I’m the “new kid” in the room — it’s almost like putting on my armor to protect myself. A nice, businessey-looking dress or suit — or at least something your great aunt Ada would approve of – with matching accessories (remember, this gives people a reason to start talking to you by complimenting you) are important. Even a haircut or a manicure can make you feel more self-assured and, again, help you make a better first impression.
Ask about others. As Jon so beautifully puts it in his interview, networking really isn’t about you talking about what you do. It’s about finding out about others and starting a relationship. Absolutely, when asked, say briefly what you do — but look for opportunities to find out more about others. I find this is an excellent way to relax (yes, eventually you will relax more!) and even have fun (again, totally possible as you gain experience). Don’t worry at all about you and your business — just find out what makes others tick and they’ll love you.
Finally, and this is kind of a secret rule, don’t ever, ever, ever sell. A networking in business event is not the time for a sales pitch. If you do approach it from a selling perspective, you’ll soon have people avoiding you. Instead, as I said before, find out about other people and start thinking about how you can help. The pitch part comes much further down the road, and by the time you get there it’s not even a pitch but a friend really and truly wanting to find out what you do.
I hope these are helpful. If you have strategies that have helped you feel more comfortable, please do share them in the comments — that’s how we can all help each other. And if you’ve recently attended a networking in business event (yay for you!) be sure to let us all know about your success!
Oh, yeah, and be sure to tune in tomorrow when we focus on icebreaker conversation starters.
Until then, make every connection count!
-liz
