10 Survival Tips for Your Next Networking Event
Talking to strangers is always hard. Getting dropped into a whole roomful of them at a networking event can be paralysis-inducing. For a business owner, networking isn’t optional — meeting new people and cultivating relationships with them are essential parts of growing any company.
I’m not a natural networker. I’m not a flesh-presser or a baby-kisser. I’m an introverted business person who likes to help people and make a difference. Even though networking is tough for me, I make a point of doing it regularly, even setting monthly and weekly goals for myself, and my company has benefitted as a result, in the forms of sales, referrals and introductions.
To encourage you to do the same, I asked a few Dolphin Micro folks for their best tips on how to make your next networking event a success.
DO NOT rest in your comfort zone. ~ Chase Natoli, VP of Sales
1. Embrace discomfort
Our VP of sales, Chase, is naturally extroverted and a great conversationalist, but even he has to remind himself to step out of his comfort zone once in a while.
“People tend to gravitate to existing contacts and people they already know,” he says. “Typically, those people are already going to be open to dedicating some time to you outside of the event, so focus instead on how many new connections you want to make.”
2. Have a clear goal
For Amber, our operations manager, the key to networking success is to have a clear goal — whether it is to collect 50 business cards, set 5 coffee appointments or stop at 25 booths.
“Without a goal,” she says, “people attend an event, talk to some people, and consider it a valuable experience. They might think later, ‘Hey, I have been doing 3 of these a month all year and nothing has come of it, so this must not work.’ It doesn’t work if you don’t go into every event with a plan.”
3. Know your audience
Cooper, a Dolphin Micro project manager, is one of those guys who can turn a handshake at a Meetup into a project. He says knowing your audience before you go to an event is critical.
“If you’re going to an event organized online, there will usually be a visible guest list,” he says. “Do some light Googling of a few guests to learn a little bit about their positions or companies.”
This pre-vetting process gives you a few advantages: You’re able to focus on establishing higher quality connections. You can also run through mock conversations in your head and think about interesting questions to ask without being put on the spot. Plus, it makes people feel important. Who wouldn’t want to be recognized?
Try to get beyond the basics as fast as possible. Be curious and ask probing questions. ~ Cooper McGoodwin, Project Manager
4. Focus on quality over quantity
Everyone will be having the same 1–2 minute conversation many times over the course of the event. “What’s your name? What does your company do? How did you hear about this event?” Boring. Good luck remembering everyone you meet or being remembered if that’s as far as you get.
“Ask probing questions,” says Cooper. “Look for information you can use as a compelling follow-up if you decide you want to stay in touch with this person. Maybe it’s not immediately apparent how they could help you further your goals, but you can never have too many smart and driven people in your rolodex.”
5. Remember the details
After exchanging business cards (important!) and parting ways, take a minute to write down a few key points you discussed on the back of your new contact’s card. It will help jog your memory the next day and let you craft a much more personalized response.
6. Follow up
“After you’ve collected some cards and met some people, you need a plan of action for what to do with that information,” says Amber. This is where a lot of people fail: they don’t plan for follow-through and long-term engagement. Try to arrange an in-person meeting within the next week or 2 so the connection stays fresh.
Fake it ‘til you… Well, just fake it forever if you have to. ~ Kelly Drill, Marketing Director
7. If you can’t plan ahead, seek out 2–3 people you can have a meaningful conversation with
Occasionally you’re going to find yourself in a room full of strangers you haven’t prepped for. That’s OK. Find a couple of people who seem open and friendly, and engage them in a meaningful conversation.
8. Let others do the talking
Some people are so worried that they’ll say the wrong thing to someone new, they have trouble saying anything at all. There’s nothing wrong with that!
“Letting someone else carry the conversation is a great way to take the pressure off yourself,” says Kelly, our marketing director. “Relax and make it clear that you’re genuinely interested in what the other person has to say (because you are!), and you’ll find that most people are more than happy to do the talking.”
Asking questions like: “How’d you get into the widget business?” and “What advice would you give someone starting in the widget business?” tend to open the conversation.
9. Listen for problems
When you ask questions like: “What challenges do you see in the future for your company?” and “What does an ideal client look like for you?” you start uncovering problems and opportunities. When you hit upon a problem you can relate to or potentially solve, you’ll find yourself in more comfortable conversational territory.
Keep in mind that anyone you talk to can be valuable. They might not need your services, but could know someone now or in the future who does. ~ Amber Pelon, Operations Manager
10. Understand the long-term value of new contacts
When you meet people at events, you’re building a long-term contact list. A lot of people only think about contacts who want to do something right now as valuable. In sales, you should always be building two lists of people: people who have a need and the money for your services now, and people you could help down the line.
