Network Like a Pro: Strategies For Meaningful Connections
Many have forgotten about and left behind the good old-fashioned face-to-face networking event in favour of chasing purely online engagement. LinkedIn invitations have replaced paper business cards and handshake etiquette classes have been overturned by "optimising your bio" workshops.
Don’t get us wrong, we fully support (and encourage!) you to accurately portray yourself online in the best light possible. Your digital footprint is tremendously important. However, your online presence should support who you are as a real-life, breathing, human being. In a world where you can find yourself with thousands of online connections but no true relationships, we say - it’s time to place real-life, face-to-face network events firmly back in your business strategy, and your personal schedule. At the risk of sounding trite, it’s not always what you know, but who you know - that can have the most impact.
The more people:
Know you
Like you
Trust you and
Know what you do
The better your odds of growing your business in a way that feels authentic without feeling like you’re constantly searching for your next customer. And when your online persona marries up seamlessly with who you are as a person, building trust is effortless. They truly do go hand in hand.
The right interactions can lead to revenue benefits and meaningful relationships, or contribute to your personal development.
Excelerate Marketing Founder, Emma Reeves is a master networker and surrounds herself with others who possess the skill. If there’s an event a boat, train, car or plane ride away that’s relevant to her business-building strategy, she’s there. Always dressed in an eye-catching, modern yet classic outfit and bright lipstick she enters every room with an intention: find the right person.
We all know the feeling of walking into a room where you don’t know anyone, and no one knows you. You sit in the corner with your giant name label stuck to your jacket, watching the minutes roll by, picking at the semi-stale cheese board, unsure why you bothered to put pants on today, feeling like the whole thing was a giant waste of time. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
Here are our top tips to ensure that your time and energy are well utilised, and that you see a genuine return from your networking efforts:
1. Find the right event
A simple Google will show events happening in your area. Use keywords relevant to your industry or your goal and think about who you want to be in a room with. If you’re not having any luck on Google, utilise Facebook or LinkedIn networking groups - a simple post sharing your desire to find events in your industry should attract responses from those already in the networks you’re trying to crack.
You can also search by venue, group, date or a broader location. Some of our favourites are:
Networking groups like BIO (sneaky plug for our fav business community!)
2. Pre-vet the room
It’s impossible to meet everyone in a room, and you don’t have to. Check the guest list beforehand if it’s available and decide in advance who you’d like to introduce yourself to. If you’ve shown up and have no idea who’s around, you can always introduce yourself to the event organiser and allow them to point out those who may be worth approaching. A referral is always more powerful than a cold introduction, so if you can have someone else introduce you with purpose, even better.
3. Know who you are
Make sure you know why you’re there, and edit your dialogue accordingly. If you’ve chosen that event because you’re wanting to forge a certain partnership, be open about your goal and be okay to ask for help, referrals, or recommendations. Be mindful of how you introduce yourself and avoid using jargon, job titles, or other words that people outside of your company wouldn’t understand. Be a human, be yourself, and be clear about what you offer, and what you’d ideally like to find at that event. Having a pre-prepared elevator pitch or unique selling point rehearsed can help you relax and communicate with confidence.
4. Listen, and respond succinctly
We’ve all experienced the vicious drudgery that is having to listen to someone take over the entire conversation, for the entire event. Instead of scattergun pitching to anyone with a pulse, make listening your priority and find succinct and helpful ways to contribute to the conversation. If a fellow networker is getting over zealous, it’s okay to politely remove yourself from the conversation in pursuit of your ideal connection. Saying that, every person knows another person. So be kind, open, and allow someone to finish. Sometimes simply holding space for someone may be what they remember you for. It may not feel productive in the moment, but loose connections to people who know you, like you, and know what you do can still lead to referrals and people mentioning your name in rooms you aren’t in, in the future. So think long term.
5. Solidify the connection
Meeting someone is one thing, staying in touch is another. Be sure to exchange business cards, add one another on LinkedIn and (hot tip) - send them a message within 24 hours. By sending an email (you can do this standing right in front of them for immediate impact!), or organising a coffee date straight away you solidify that relationship and create a paper trail allowing you to go back and build on that connection. Find a reason to add value to that person as quickly as you can - whether it’s forwarding them an article that’s relevant to your previous conversation, connecting them to someone you know who would be helpful for them to know, or sharing another networking event you think they’ll enjoy, add value to be remembered.
We’re all human and know how it feels when you meet someone genuine who listens, smiles, fills the room with energy, and makes you feel like you’re awesome and they have your back. Be that person for others and you’ll find yourself being introduced to people you may not have been able to access and being given opportunities you would never have been able to manufacture without the help of some kind stranger, who you met at a networking event.
If your business wants to:
Grow
Attract funding
Attract new business
Attract new employees
Increase visibility
Increase credibility
Increase market share
Or you want to work on building your confidence, develop your personal brand, socialise or just want to feel like you’re a part of the wider community (solopreneurs we see you!), it’s time to find your next in-person event.
So go forth, get into the real world, and start building your network one handshake at a time. The human connection will never go out of style, and you’ll get a much better feel for someone’s intention standing in front of them than you ever will through a ChatGPT written email.
Contact Excelerate Marketing today for a free brand consultation, and let our team of marketing experts help excelerate your business to new heights.