Archive for the ‘Networking Events’ Category

Attend Events With a Friend

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

As you network more, you will often become the person people ask about where to network. Of course, you can and should give recommendations. But it can be even more effective to go together.

Obviously, it’s an opportunity to get some face time and deepen a relationship, but you don’t want to spend too much time together. Working a room is much easier as a team than alone. Unless an event is poorly attended, it’s difficult to talk to everyone. Going with a friend allows you to cover twice as much ground.

As with any other networking event, set some goals. The fun part is that you can set goals together. One of the easiest is that one of you might be interested in meeting with a particular person who often attends that event. If that person is present, one of you can make an introduction.

Perhaps your buddy wants to meet someone from a particular industry. You can work the room with that in mind. If you find someone appropriate, you can find (or make) an opportunity to introduce them.

Other than being able to cover twice as much ground, the biggest advantage to working a room together is that it’s easier to talk about someone else than yourself. When you meet that person who is just perfect for your buddy, you can say something like, “You know, I came to this event with someone you need to meet. She’s looking to network with people in your industry, and I’d really like to introduce you.”

Since most people come to an event with the goal of meeting new people, this approach usually works well. When you get the two of them together, you can say a few words about each to ease the introduction. Perhaps your buddy has had some real success in this particular area. You can tell her story, and it will be received better than if she told it yourself. Third party testimonials always have more credibility.

Your buddy, of course, can do the same for you. After the meeting, you can reconvene to compare notes. Did you both get a good vibe off a particular person? Perhaps you heard something in a conversation that your buddy didn’t. Did you both have a bad vibe off someone? Comparing notes can help you both focus on why you didn’t like the person.

Odds are you’ll both accomplish more than if you attended the event separately.

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How to Break into a Conversation at an Event

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

I get this question all the time. When you are at a networking event and most of the people are involved in conversations, how do you break in without being rude?

The easy answer is watch body language. Find a pair or small group conversation you might want to become a part of. How close together are the people? If their heads are together, probably not a good one to try.

If there is some distance between them, look at how they are positioned relative to each other. Are they facing squarely? Or are they at an angle? If they are at an angle, they are consciously or subconsciously inviting someone to join them. If they are facing each other squarely, the message is don’t interrupt.

Suppose there is a particular person you want to speak with, and she’s talking to another. You can stand behind the person she’s talking to, facing her and catch her eye. If she sees you, she’ll give you some signal. Stay or go and I’ll catch up later.

Going to an event with someone can make it easier. It’s easier for two people to be welcomed into a conversation than one. And your buddy can get you invited to conversations you might not enter as easily alone.

Want to get someone to approach you? Stand alone, slightly apart from the main group and try to catch the eye of another solo person. That will usually get him or her to come over for introductions.

Yes, it’s tough if you haven’t practiced the skills. But once you have, joining a conversation is easy.

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Evaluating Your Networking Venue

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Earlier this week I did a post on the Top 10 Networking Mistakes, and #6 was not evaluating your networking venues.

So how do you choose and evaluate? Glad you asked!

Asking for recommendations of good events from your network is a good place to start. Make sure to ask why they are recommending an event. Who are the usual attendees? Are they the kind of people you need/want to meet? Is it primarily a business or social event? If the event sounds like it meets your goals, give it a try.

Networking event calendars will sometimes give you similar information. I love it when an event listing tells me who should attend. That gives me valuable information on whether I should attend. The event might be aimed at people like me. Or it might be aimed at my potential market. Either way is fine by me.

But all the research in the world doesn’t help you out if you don’t actually attend the event. If you think one might work for you, check it out. As you network, evaluate the other people there. Are these who you expected? If not, ask some questions. Events are like people. They have good days and bad days. Check to see if this might be an unusual crowd.

If you made good contacts, then obviously you’ll want to list this one as one to try again. If it didn’t work for you, I still suggest giving it at least one more try. Might have been an off day.

Even if you think it’s a good event and you continue to go back, don’t hesitate to reevaluate after 6 months or a year. Your goals may have changed. The event may have changed. The same goes for an event you decided not to attend. If someone mentions it as being a good event, give it another look.

Don’t let peer pressure influence you too much. I’ve been told there are events I HAVE to attend. Then I go and realize they are a waste of time. Yes, it’s awkward to tell someone “thanks for the recommendation, but it’s not for me.” But that’s much better than attending an event regularly that wastes your time.

Just because your best friend loves it doesn’t mean you have to.

When you look at your networking calendar for a month, make sure you are using your time wisely. Time is too precious to waste on bad events.

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A Way to Find Networking Events

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Last night was my monthly networking training group, and the topic of the evening was developing a networking action plan for 2010. As a part of that, we went around the room reporting on events we had attended last year.

We developed quite a list of networking events in Northern Virginia, and many of the people said it was the best part of the evening. By the way, if you are in the DC Metro area and want the list, DM me on Twitter, email me or leave your email in the Comments, and I’ll send you a copy of the list after I transcribe it.

And what if you aren’t in the DC Metro area? You can do the same thing and come up with a good list.

If you are in a regular networking group, such as BNI, you can ask everyone in the group to write down two events they attended last year. That should get a list.

Not in a regular networking group? No problem. Talk to the people you know who network regularly. Bring them all together for dinner or Happy Hour. Ask everyone who comes to bring two events with them.

Ask for more than just the names. Also ask for why they attended and their impressions. Much of the value last night was the discussion of why they were worth trying and the type of people who usually attend.

Before you know it, you’ll have a list of good events in your area. It’ll be worth your time. I know a lot of the networking in Northern VA, and I heard lots of new events last night.

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When and How to Follow Up After a Networking Event

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Yesterday, I said I’d write more about effective follow up after an event.

Two questions I am frequently asked are:

1. How soon after an event should I follow up?
2. How should I follow up? Email, phone call, etc?

The answer to the first one is easy. As soon as possible, but no more than 24-48 hours afterward. I do make an exception for Friday events. I’m a big believer in setting work and personal boundaries, and I’ll never think less of someone if they wait until Monday or Tuesday to follow up after a Friday event.

Why so soon? The answer should be obvious, but considering how many people don’t follow up promptly, it must not be. The sooner you follow up, the more likely someone is to remember you and what you had talked about.

It also shows commitment and good organization. If I refer you to someone, I expect you’ll contact the referral as soon as possible. If you can’t contact me promptly after an event, you’ve already damaged your credibility.

So we are in agreement that sooner is better, right? Which brings us to the how. Should you email the new contact? Call him? Send a snail mail card?

All good questions. And the answer is, “It depends.” No really. It does.

I hear a lot of discussion around this one. Some people say you should always use email for convenience. Others say email is highly overused, and you should always pick up the phone. I don’t disagree that email is both convenient and overused, but people are individuals. What works for one won’t always work for someone else.

Take me. I prefer an email follow up. I’m not a slave to my phone. I spend a lot of time in meetings or writing (like now). I frequently can’t or don’t want to answer my phone. Calling me can lead to endless voice mail tag. Who wants that? So I always tell people it’s better to email me first. If we need to talk by phone, we can set a mutually convenient time.

Someone else may have an Inbox that is always overflowing and the thought of one more email to deal with is on par with getting a root canal. He wishes people would just call him.

See why one size doesn’t fit all?

So how do you know? Easy. Ask. When you exchange cards at an event, make a commitment as to how you will follow up. Ask if the other person prefers email or a phone call. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the look of relief in the other person’s eyes when I’ve asked that. Whatever method they request I know is going to be the best one.

And if I use the preferred method, I’ve just about guaranteed I won’t get blown off.

What if someone says, “I’ll call you tomorrow,” and you’d rather get an email? Just say so. You both will appreciate it, and it starts the relationship off the right way.

What about snail mail? It’s good for a “glad to have met you” message if there was no specific commitment set to follow up later. It’s terrible for setting up a meeting. Handwritten cards, however, do get saved and displayed on my microwave for a couple of days. Just saying.

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Follow Up After Networking Events

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Yesterday, I wrote about selecting your events for the new year. I hope you’ve done so and have a full (or nearly full) calendar for 2010.

But what about follow up? It’s good to go to an event and meet new people, but in my experience people are very bad about post-event follow up.

An example. Last week, I met someone at an event. Someone else vouched for me and said I am “the person to know if you need a good networker.” We spoke for a bit, and I said to her, “You know. I need someone in your business to refer. Would you like to meet and learn about each other?”

That’s my standard approach to setting the commitment for a follow up meeting after an event. What she didn’t know is that I was testing her. I would like someone in her business to refer, but I’ve had a hard time finding someone with good follow up. I don’t want to waste my time with another meeting over coffee if the person is no good at it.

I made my offer as sweet as possible by saying I needed someone like her to refer. I even told her the best way to contact me (via email). What do you think? Would you have emailed me to set up a meeting? I know I would have.

It’s been more than a week, and I still haven’t heard from her. She’s missed an opportunity.

How many opportunities have you missed because you didn’t have an effective follow up plan after an event? The sad part is that you probably don’t know and never will.

Over the next few days, I am going to talk about effective follow up after an event. When should you follow up? How should you follow up? How can you use social media as a good tool?

Anyone have any good follow up horror stories to share in the comments?

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Events in the New Year

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

You’ve had a few weeks to get back from the holidays, get caught up and back in the mood to work. And network.

Now it’s time to get some events on the calendar. What events should you attend this year?

Obviously look at what you attended last year. Which ones were most effective? Which ones were not effective? Do you know why?

Look at who attended the events. Are they the kind of people you want to meet this year? Why or why not?

Review your message. What were you asking for last year? Did you get what you were asking for? Why or why not?

I’ll use myself as an example. There were seven events I attended regularly last year

*A networking breakfast at a nearby Women’s Business Center
*Three networking lunches: one Christian-based, one a meeting of attorneys and financial types and a general-attendance lunch
*Two evening open mixers
*My Chamber of Commerce mixers

The Women’s Business Center breakfast continues to be one of my best source for new prospects. It stays.

The attorney lunch meets a need to network with the types of people many of my contacts want to network with. It stays as a source of referrals for others.

The other two lunches were not effective for me, and I will only attend them if someone I know needs an introduction to the event.

One of the evening mixers was very effective last year. The others wasn’t, but with the addition of social media coaching to my services, I think a new message will make that event more productive. They both stay on my calendar.

The Chamber is always good. It stays.

See how it works? I’ve retained events, dropped events, and I’ve decided to experiment with a new message at one.

Once you have answers to those questions, it’s time to schedule the events you plan to keep. Get them on the calendar right now, for the entire year. That will minimize the chance of getting distracted and forgetting to go.

Leave room for new events. As you network this year, you may learn about new events to try. Make room for them on your calendar, and run them through the evaluation process above.

Make 2010 your best networking year yet!

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Don’t Do Anything You Really Don’t Like!

Monday, January 11th, 2010

This can be a dangerous piece of advice, so let me clarify. When you begin to make changes in your networking strategy, you are going to have to move out of your comfort zone. After all, if everything you are comfortable with is working well, there would be no need to change. Moving out of your comfort zone can be scary. It may mean doing things you don’t like. But as you get more comfortable with the new activities, you may find that the thing you hated at first ends up being a lot of fun.

For example, I used to hate evening networking mixers. I don’t drink alcohol, and the venues are often loud and crowded. But I needed to work them, if for no better reason than I needed to be able to advise my clients how to work them effectively. Hard to do if you’ve never done it yourself. So I forced myself out of my comfort zone and went to them. I did all the things I had advised my clients: set goals, talked to new people, etc. And guess what? They aren’t that bad. They still aren’t my most favorite or effective way to network, but I can do them. And I have made some very good connections at them. And I would have missed those great connections if I hadn’t talked myself into moving out of my comfort zone.

That said, I do them as little as possible. There are other ways of networking that I enjoy far more. And I pick the events that are most effective for me. I don’t just do them to do them because I “should.”

And it’s okay for you to do the same. Just because someone tells you “Hey, this is great. You should do it too” doesn’t mean you have to. Give it a fair try. If it works, continue it. If it doesn’t, stop. The minute networking becomes a “chore” is the minute you will give it up.

And that would be too bad. Networking is the best source of job security I have ever found. So stop worrying about the right or wrong way to do it. Do what works for you. Try something new every so often, but mostly just do it.

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Act Like a Host, Not a Guest

Friday, January 8th, 2010

I see this advice frequently in books about networking, and it’s good advice. When at an event, you want to find how you can help the host, meet and greet people or in other small ways look for ways to make the event run smoothly.

I recently had an opportunity to practice this advice in a different way, and it reminded me that there are many ways to act like a host.

I have been asked to speak to a networking group later this month. So not only am I going to be a guest, I’m going to be a special guest. Of course I wanted to promote the event through my newsletter, so I emailed the host for all the particulars. She sent back everything but mentioned that her venue had fallen through. She was looking for a new place, and would I be available to go to DC or Maryland if that was where they ended up.

Okay, I admit it. Enlightened self-interest kicked in big time. I live in Northern Virginia. To get to either DC or Maryland at 6:30 in the evening is just asking to be stuck in rush hour traffic.

I emailed her back and said I knew of some possibilities (which just happened to be closer to me). Would she like me to check on them? Of course, she replied.

I asked for a bit more information (like the expected turnout) and sent off a couple of email requests. I was able to find her a room for the event, and she is in contact with that venue to work out the details. The extra cool part for me was the email I received in thanks, “Juli, I am hoping to be able to pay you something when you speak—though that is not the protocol—but I’m simply greatful for your help and flexibility!! Thank you!”

So my help elevated this event from an unpaid speaking engagement to a paid engagement for me. Everyone wins!

I’d say that counted as acting like a host instead of a guest.

Anyone else have any examples of times you acted as a host and how it worked out for you?

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How to End a Conversation

Monday, December 7th, 2009

This was another question that I received last week from someone who has trouble with “their new best friends” at networking events. The question was how to gracefully escape from a conversation with someone who is monopolizing your time.

The answer to this one depends on the person you are trying to escape. Is she truly annoying (and someone you don’t want to pass off to another), or is he someone interesting who just has a hard time ending a conversation?

We’ll tackle the annoying person first. While the temptation is certainly to tell her to get lost, it’s never a good idea to burn a relationship. Someone who is annoying today could change and turn out to be a good contact later. So, try this. “I’ve really found this conversation interesting, but I don’t want to monopolize your time. I’m sure there are other people here you’d like to talk with.” And then you make a hasty get-away. You’ve been respectful of the other person while still being able to move on. If she was just nervous and not sure how to work an event, you’ve preserved the relationship for later, if she ever gets it. And if she’s just an obnoxious person, you’ve gotten away without causing a scene.

But what if the person is actually interesting and just isn’t good at ending a conversation? This is a good situation for the smooth hand-off. Assuming there is someone else at the event you know, you can make the following offer, “I’ve really enjoyed speaking with you. You know, you really need to speak to [fill in the blank]. You two will have a lot in common. She’s right over here. Let me introduce you.”

Obviously, this works better if you can personalize it with some reason the two people need to talk. If you can come up with that reason, you are golden. You’ve escaped from a conversation, and introduced two people who have a reason to connect.

While it is tempting to pull the above strategy to stick two annoying people together, I don’t recommend it. That could come back to haunt you later.

The above strategies should work for almost any situation where you need a quick escape at an event. Anyone have another strategy to share? Or have you been in a situation where neither of the above would have worked? I’m open to an idea for a follow-up post!

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