I’m terrified – and I mean shaking hands and raised heart-rate level of fear – of networking. Despite my hobby being stand-up comedy, my job requiring me to stand in front of people, having once given a speech to the French Ambassador (and the German, and Japanese) and even with a drama degree under my belt, nothing brings on a panic more than the thought of having to meet a succession of new people and gain some useful contacts out of it.
But over time I have developed some useful tricks to make networking a lot easier. And here they are:
Why am I doing this?
The first thing to do, before even arriving at a networking event, is decide on a goal. Set yourself something challenging but not impossible, such as “collect 20 business cards” or “arrange a coffee with two potential clients”. This will mean you know when you’re done and can flee.
Can I go yet?
It doesn’t take long at any event for me to want run away. To stop me from doing so, I take along a fixed number of business cards – 20 is a good number – and don’t leave until they’re all handed out. This means if you don’t hit your goal and want to leave at the very least you end up giving 20 people a card.
But I don’t have business cards…
Get them. I have ones for Setsights, ones for the management consultancy I work at most of the time and even personal ones with just my mobile number and name on them.
Worried about forgetting someone’s name?
This works not just for business networking, but when you’ve forgotten anyone’s names. Use the phrase, “I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I’m [name]”. Nine times out of 10, they will respond with their own name.
What do I say now?
Create a networking pitch – like an elevator pitch but shorter – by coming up with 10 seconds saying who you are, what you do and why you’re there. Here is mine: “Hi, I’m David Lurie, I’m a career, communications and graduates training specialist with Setsights Ltd”. Keep it simple, so that you avoid the risk of forgetting it.
Stay in touch
Don’t assume you’ll hear from anyone even if they have your card. If you want to stay in touch with them, make sure you stay in contact (find out if they prefer phone or email) and follow up with them within a few days and regularly – perhaps monthly – thereafter.
Be interested in other people
Genuinely try and be interested in other people. Every single person I have ever met has done at least one interesting thing in their lives. In fact, most people have done something interesting in the last week. Ask them questions and find out what it is and they’ll remember you as a person who cares about them.
Forget about your own message
If you can find out all about someone else and don’t even get the chance to mention anything other than your name, it doesn’t matter. I find it’s an odd peculiarity that the less we say in a conversation the most fascinating the other person usually finds us. You’ll get a second chance, so don’t stress out about your message as you’ve already got the pertinent details in your 10 second pitch above.
