April 26, 2013 | Posted by Yvette Alexander Slate | Networking
I was coaching a client this week and she was planning to attend a networking event. I shared with her some business and networking nuances that one should be mindful of:
1. First and foremost, leave your purse at home. It's a distraction to what you are trying to accomplish. The purse gets in the way. It's baggage (literally). The metaphor behind that is that we want to be comfortable and free with our hands, our movement and our conversation. The purse prevents us from being confident with our approach. It allows an excuse to not be organized or sharp with sharing our experience and expertise.
2. We should then consider what do we take with us? Although it should be a given, some people are in such a rush that they forget to bring their business cards. How can one go to a networking event and not bring their business cards? That's like going to work and forgetting your shoes. As I have written in the past, "your business card is like your business resume." And as Les Brown says, "it's better to be prepared for an opportunity than to have an opportunity and not be prepared." What if someone wants to begin working with you and you have any contact information on you.
3. One should always expect to make an appointment when you actually connect with someone. In other words, even though you leave your purse at home, take your phone or calendar with you. The phone is not to be used for checking messages, but to have it accessible when the time is right to schedule a face to face meeting. This is when you connect more in-depth after the initial networking meeting.
4. When you walk into a room full of people, don't get overwhelmed with the quantity but the quality of interaction you will have with a minimum of three people. If you can go to an event, once per week and meet three good connections, imagine the likelihood of earning someone's business.
5. Finally, don't eat the food while networking. Or, at least in the beginning when you arrive. One should try to connect with people, shake hands, ask some insightful questions, know ahead of time who might be there if you can, schedule some appointments and then leave. When you have a plate full of food in front of you, there is no way you can do any of the above effectively.
I hope these points are helpful to you. And know that it's not just networking, it's connect-working.
Happy Relationship Building!
Coach Yvette