End-of-year presentations, christmas dinners, partner events; the high time for network events just wrapped up and left us exhausted. These were however fantastic opportunities to maintain business relationships and make new ones. With the new year come new opportunities to network and new challenges to conquer.

Networking is one of those skills that everyone lists on their CV, even though some people couldn’t network to save their life… Sort of like “Social Skills”; just because you can communicate with your surroundings on a basic level, doesn’t mean you have social skills. Under the same logic; getting hammered at an after-work party does not prove networking skills… 😉

Having spent a life in in sales and generating more than 75 % of my income out of referrals and face-to-face pitches, I will be happy to give you some pointers in the right direction. However… Don’t forget that everyone is not the same, therefore consider these points suggestions to give you a framework.

Do your homework

Get yourself an overview of the event. What is the goal of the gathering? Where is it taking place? Who’s sponsoring it? Who will be moderating it? Straight networking events are easiest to navigate, as everyone there is looking to connect and pitch themselves or their product. If you’re new to networking start with those as you will be approached and you can gather some ideas as to how other people break the ice and converse.

Non-networking events can still be useful for finding contacts and building relationships. As these events have an agenda, make sure you’re up to speed on the subject matter. You don’t have to be an art aficionado to know the difference between a masterpiece and a coat rack (been there, done that and got the abuse for it…) Also take a more subtle approach in these types of events. The guests are there primarily for the presentation, not your pitch.

…and please don’t forget; not every network opportunity is a black tie, Krug champagne, Super Bowl half-time show type of event. Those are usually the hardest ones to handle simply because most of the participants are not comfortable and more focused on making the right impression. I personally prefer small to medium sized, localised presentations and events where people are relaxed and themselves.

Pre-event preparation

First of all; what are you trying to achieve? The preparation for an event depends on your basic expectations. Are you looking to acquire or are you looking to broaden your network? Are you selling or buying? Or are you just looking to position yourself in your workplace and/or industry?

Straight acquisitions is the Formula 1 of networking. There is a very fine line between successfully brokering partnerships and being the sleazy sales person everyone tries to avoid. Honestly? If you’re new to this, try broadening your network connections first.

Dress code. Always a fun subject. A lot of sales coaches run the “dress to impress” path. Not always the right way to go. I tend to go with “reflect respect”. Show that you respect the host, his venue and your fellow attendees.

Use a little common sense and try to see the bigger picture behind the event. An “after-work” venue will have most guests in business attire, a Saturday night club opening in “night on the town” set up. Try to identify what you’re projecting. Though some venues might justify an expensive wrist watch or a four-digit suit, most day to day events won’t. So stick to basic classics.

Oh… and on the subject of watches; I don’t wear one at all to events. Shows that I appreciate sacrificing the time for the host and fellow guests. Also saves me from awkwardly glancing at it irregularly 😉

Focus

Define and then keep your focus. If you’re prepared and set up to broaden your network, don’t change your goal half way through the event. Even if you feel you’re not properly prepared for what you just walked into, you’ll be even less prepared for anything else.

Try and acquire your contacts in the first part of the event, so you’re not running desperate and out of energy when closing time rolls around. Most people burn a lot of energy during extroverted activities and focusing on their surroundings, so make the most of it. There’s only a very small group of people that actually draw their energy from initiating interactions and being the extrovert and if you’re one of those; you’re probably not reading this 😉

During the event

Body language is the key to success here. If you’re a pleasant person to be around, people will be around you and not find the first excuse to leave. Try to visualise the kind of person you would like to talk to and spend time with, it’s usually that simple.

Though most articles on human interactions will not agree on the actual percentage, they all agree that the significantly larger part of human interaction is non-verbal. Everything from how we react to the other in stance and attitude to how we smell.

On the subject of smell… I think it’s great that your girlfriend got you the latest after shave that smells of tulips and a midnight walk in a park in the rain; please don’t douse yourself in it. The trick to a scent is in it’s definition; it’s a SCENT not a SMELL. The most pleasant scents are the ones that are not obviously noticed, so just dab a bit and make sure it has time to settle before you take it to the general public.

Follow-up

What’s the worst thing about a successful conversation? That it’s forgotten after a painfully short period of time. No use in conjuring up half a dozen potential contacts and then loosing them within the following couple of days. You were not the only one they talked to, you were probably not even the only one from your industry to talk to them.

DO NOT use the three day rule, this is not a dating concept! Personally I follow up highly interesting prospects within 12 hours and all others within 48 hours. No matter how impressive you were (and trust me; you weren’t as impressive as you think you were), you will fall victim to “out of sight, out of mind”.

To wrap things up; everyone is talking about and trying to extend their “customer experience” and although you will not convert every conversation into a working relationship, you are the first chapter of their customer experience.

So… go out there and mingle! As always, Feel free to contact me by email or the contact page if you’d like to compare notes or give me feedback to your experiences.