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How To: Rock at Networking

Tips and Tricks on Mastering the Art of Networking!

By Beau ArnfieldPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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Immerse Yourself with Like-Minded People... and Thrive!

So, you're on your professional journey and you're looking for ways to meet people and gain invaluable contacts, and insights, into the future of your business. There is an event coming up, and there will be an abundance of eager professionals awaiting to hear you and your big ideas. But there's something stopping you.

Is it:

  1. The fear of being in a room of thousands of strangers?
  2. The fear of not being treated seriously?
  3. The fear of not being able to fit in?
  4. The fear of being alone all night?
  5. The fear that you will fail?

These "fears" are all too common, and oftentimes lead to people not realising the incredible potential networking events possess, or even worse, creating an extreme reluctance potentially resulting in non-attendance. This is definitely a missed opportunity!

So, here are some of my top VALUABLE tips for rocking those networking events, making the most of these growth opportunities most importantly; converting all of those preconceived fears into motivators and strengths!

Tip #1: Be Yourself (Sell You and Not Your Business)

This is one of the most important tips, hence its position here at number one. Long-story-short, people can "see through" this. It can become an immediate detraction. At the crux of it, no matter whether you want to befriend prospective business partners, gain clients, or liaise with a potential employer, they want to connect with SOMEONE and not SOMETHING. People want confidence in the mastermind behind the results, and if you can ace this, then success will be sure to flow!

Here, I'll put this into context. I myself was at a networking event with an idea to pitch to the organisers, who happened to be Silicon Valley locals with a plethora of incredible connections. Had I discussed my ideas immediately, I can guarantee you they would have been completely disinterested. Why? Simple, because I would have sounded like everyone else! Instead, I told them about me and my skills and then THEY asked ME the questions.

Let me tell you, this has indeed worked to my advantage!

Tip #2: Have your own introduction (and OWN IT!)

Strategically placed following "Tip #1" is the idea of creating your own introduction. Now, I'm not saying to recite your CV and regurgitate lists of information about how you were captain of a sports team, rather, give people a story; something different, unique and compelling! This way, amongst the hundreds of "enthusiastic individuals looking to seek success in blah blah blah" (see I already forgot what that 100th person told me) they will remember the person that has put their time towards helping those in need, or going skydiving, or having had a total of 11 surgical operations (me).

Regardless of your story, make it unique and memorable!

Although personal anecdotes are fantastic for sure, another great thing to keep in mind is to keep introductions relevant and event specific, find a common ground! If there is wine, talk about the wine, and then maybe the time you were in Italy and a whole bottle was dropped on you by the waiter at a Tuscan vineyard (see what I mean here?). This creates interest, a light-hearted discussion and the incentive to explore each others experiences.

If anything, my tip is to find common ground, introduce this phenomena and expand on the idea, adding your own flavour and 11 secret herbs & spices to the mix to make yourself truly memorable!

Tip #3: Back yourself, be confident!

For some, confidence comes naturally, and for others it doesn't. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I love public speaking, enjoy big crowds, and don't mind being the centre of attention. From my experiences, it's easy to conclude that confidence rubs-off, and enthusiasm is infectious. People tend to be drawn towards those who are confident in the crowd and those who are, in some capacity, fearless. This can certainly make things harder for someone who may lack self-belief, self-esteem, or even the confidence to sell themselves.

To this I say, back yourself! You are you and that is an awesome thing! Rock YOU! If you really can't think of anything positive, just remember that:

You are the only you and that's what makes you interesting to someone new!

Although I claim to be a confident guy myself, I would be lying if I said I don't get nervous in networking situations, and do of course doubt myself at times. One thing that has helped me immensely is implementing this one simple hack: A POWER STANCE, right before I enter the room (trust me it works). How does it work you ask? It's simple! Envision you are your favourite superhero, stand in that pose, and feel proud. Proud of who you are, what you are and how you are going to show to those people in that networking room how valuable you are!

If you want to check out more about this strange, but effective, phenomena, click this link to listen to Amy Cuddy's TED Talk!

Tip #4: Be Prepared

Just like preparing for a race, an exam or even a speech—networking is no exception, always be prepared. You want to use your time effectively and ensure you successfully connect with as many people as you can!

So what do I mean by "being prepared"? Well, it is essential that you have a game plan:

  • Who are you looking to meet? (Research)
  • What sort of value will you provide to people at the event?
  • What form of "call to action" will you provide? (Business cards, a product, a contact number etc)

Something I have found very beneficial myself is researching the keynote presenters or those who are presenting at the event, and get to know their interests. Many people receive this sort of communication in a very positive way, and it can certainly lead to great things! For instance, I happened to discover a keynote presenter was an avid bushwalker, like myself, and upon mention of this activity we spoke for an hour after the event. This lead to a great business connection and a valuable resource to this day. Under-preparing puts you at a disadvantage to this sort of authentic connection.

So, remember:

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." — Benjamin Franklin

Tip #5: You MUST MUST MUST be on LinkedIn.

An absolute MUST is to be active in LinkedIn. I have been told to use this invaluable networking resource so many times and have been connected from the start. It's a great common ground to connect with others, and more importantly, seamlessly update those you meet on your big professional breakthroughs, valuable input, and constant innovation.

I would recommend spending some time creating a clear, succinct, and representative profile to ensure those you meet are greeted with the exact same person they met at the event, except, online.

Amongst an array of other great tips and tricks to becoming a great networker, these are the top 5 things that I have implemented to ensure I ROCK every networking event I attend. Above all else, make networking fun, remember to enjoy yourself because your happiness, enjoyment, and enthusiasm will be infectious to others, making all your networking experiences fruitful and exciting. Remember to always ask for a point of contact, whether that be a phone number, email address, or LinkedIn profile, and, ALWAYS CONTACT FIRST (this will show eagerness to create valuable long-lasting professional relationships).

In today's world, it's all about who you know — and hopefully, with these tips and tricks, knowing YOU will be SUPER VALUABLE!

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About the Creator

Beau Arnfield

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