Networking is one of the most significant activities you can do to build business relationships and grow your career. These tips will help you navigate both face-to-face and online situations so that you'll feel prepared to jump right into future career conversations.
TIP #1: Network before the networking: Networking prior to the event will help you build more connections during the event and will ease your nerves before the real thing. Particularly if the event is virtual, you might be able to view the guest list before you attend.
TIP #2: Master your elevator pitch: Practice an interesting introduction that is relevant for the audience you are meeting. You should include points that you want the other person to remember you by and finish by asking them a question to let them know what information you are interested in finding out more about.
TIP #3: Prepare some conversation starters: Approaching new people in an unfamiliar setting can be daunting. With some planned conversation starters, you can join an existing conversation or start your own more effectively. Before you attend, think of some interesting industry related topics to talk about during the event.
TIP #4: Set clear goals: Networking is not just a social event, although they can be a lot of fun! Before you attend any event, think about who you want to meet, why you are attending and what you want to get out of the event. With clear goals in mind, you will remain focused throughout the conversations you have.
TIP #5: Practice active listening: Networking is just as much listening as it is talking. It can be easy to spend the entire time focused on what you want to say without paying attention to the other person. Try to paraphrase or ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing and show you have a genuine interest in the other person.
TIP #6: Grow your online presence: Making connections online can be a great way to market yourself and share information about your career aspirations. Make sure so leverage platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals. Although try to be specific with your connection as a disorganised approach may just clog your feed with unhelpful information.
TIP #7: Be brave and be yourself! It can be tempting to find a quiet corner of the room and sit alone, or just observe online without switching on your camera, but remember that you are there to make contacts. Try to ease yourself in by connecting with one person who is also looking for someone to talk to. Remember that your authenticity will help you to rapport.
TIP #8: Don't forget to follow up: Your actions after networking events are just as important as your interaction during the event. Using social media to connect with the people you meet can be a good way to demonstrate that you are proactive and have a genuine interest in staying in touch or building a relationship.
Don't forget that it's about the quality of the relationships you build, not the quantity. So get yourself out here and start networking!
