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.
