Mon 17 / 12 / 12
In praise of networking...
12 Days of Networking Tips:
Day 1: Doing your research
Look at networking events in your area or around where you work. Figure out the ideal times for you to attend – early mornings, evenings, weekly, monthly and so on. Calculate how much you can afford to spend on membership fees and weekly meeting subs. Check out meeting locations, making sure you can get there on time by car or public transport and park easily if you need to.
Explore different types of meetings – formal, social, industry specific, educational. And find out what’s expected of you at each. Do you have to stand up and pitch, give a presentation, answer a Q&A session or just chat amongst yourselves? Then put all the information in a spreadsheet and create an events calendar.
Day 2: Testing, testing, 123
Don’t plan an all-out assault on every single networking event in the county. Pick out your top three based on your preferences, using your spreadsheet to sort events by category and identify those that tick all your favourite boxes. Then pick a fourth ‘wild card’ event to attend, the one you think you’ll like least, and give it a go to check your preconceptions are right. You might hate it. But you might end up unexpectedly having the time of your business life!
Day 3: Planning & executing clear, simple communications
You’ve found some events to attend. If it’s a pitching event, work out exactly what message you want to get across. Don’t expect people to fall at your feet with cheque books flapping open. Just make the best possible job of letting them know exactly what you do, clearly and simply. Keep it light, keep it friendly and keep it in your head. No wads of notes in your hand so everyone can see you shaking but can’t hear your voice because your chin’s on your chest. Practise in front of your family or a mirror. And remember to… breathe!
Day 4: Getting the sartorial side of things sorted out
It’s a networking event. It isn’t a slob around at home, nor is it a date or party night. So wear what you feel comfortable in. Smart / casual always a safe bet, although if it’s a breakfast event you’ll probably be in your work clothes anyway. If it’s an evening event you might want to loosen up a bit and let your hair down, while remaining businesslike. If, when you get there, everyone’s in jeans and t-shirts, you’ll know next time! It’s usually best to look smart your first time just in case. Alternatively, email them and ask what people tend to wear so you’re sure you’ll strike the right tone.
Day 5: Choosing a ‘safe’ arrival time
It’s always best to arrive on time. But sometimes it’s even better to choose your arrival time to suit your confidence level. If you’re feeling a bit farty, it’s the first time you’ve been to an event or you’re worried about butting into people’s conversations, try to get there early when there’s only two or three of you there. It’s much less intimidating than walking into a crowded room, you’re almost guaranteed someone to talk to and you’ll be able to relax. If, on the other hand, you’re bold as brass you can enjoy a dramatic entry on the later side of on time!
Day 6: Being yourself
Just be natural. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. I know there’s nothing more likely to make you start acting weird than trying to ‘act normal’, but you get my drift! Almost everyone feels nervous to one degree or another when meeting new people for the first time. But recent research proves we never look as nervous as we feel. It isn’t difficult. It’s only chat. You’re not pleading for your life, just getting to know other business people like you. Keep it real, chill out, be honest, have fun, meet new friends and remember that, given the choice, we all prefer doing business with people we like and trust. Get in there and ‘nice’ everyone to death! You’ll be fine.
Day 7: Keeping an eye on yourself – working the room
It’s great chatting to people, especially when you ‘click’. But this is a networking event and it’s your job to circulate, so tear yourself away politely and move on. If you’re having a great chat you might not want to, but evaluate the chat as it unfolds. You’re here for business.
Are you on a fruitful track? You don’t want to monopolise others, or be monopolised. You want to meet loads of exciting people but you don’t want to end up speed-networking, exhausting yourself and everyone who crosses your path. It’s a business balancing act you’ll enjoy mastering!
Day 8: Having an aim and a focus
Some people go to networking events to win new business, some like to meet new people and widen their business circle. Some people go for the social side. It doesn’t matter why you’re going to a network event as long as you have a sensible aim.
Make it achievable. Say, to find 2-3 people you’d like to have a coffee with at some point and find out more about their business, and vice versa. Simply collecting loads of business cards to go on your prospects database isn’t usually the done thing!
Day 9: Following up interesting people
Following up is essential. But following up the right way is absolutely vital. Don’t just send out a salesy email to everyone whose business card you collected. It’s off putting. If you’ve been to a larger event where you didn’t meet everyone, don’t send out a blanket email saying ‘it was good to meet you’ when you didn’t. Most of us have good enough memories to remember who we’ve met and who we haven’t. Be honest and straightforward, human and approachable. Just send a quick, friendly email to the people you actually spoke to. Treat people the way you’d like to be treated and you should be fine.
Day 10: Giving events a chance to capture your imagination
It’s hard to get an accurate, full picture of the ‘feel’ of a networking event in just one meeting, unless it’s completely pants! The second time round you’ll be calmer and more confident, knowing what to expect and where to go, with a couple of friendly contacts to connect with while you get your bearings. Give it a second go and see what you think. Most membership events, where they’re asking for a financial and a time commitment, will let you attend twice to make your mind up.
Day 11: Keeping in contact off-network
After an event you can warm things up a little, keeping in contact with people you meet and like via Twitter or LinkedIn. Social media are also a good way to find out more about the people you’ve met, in a different business context. Online social networks are the perfect foil for offline networking and they’re a cheap, convenient way to build strong, positive long-term business relationships. Twitter and so on also provide a great way to find out what other people think of various networking events. Are you missing something fantastic? Keep in touch and you’ll never miss another top networking event again!
Day 12: Knowing when size matters
There are successful networking events with 8 people in them and my own, BBCC, with 125. It’s not the size. It’s what you do with it. All a larger event offers is more choice. There’s no way you can expect to meet all 125 people at one Curry Club event. But being larger, it gives you a broad spectrum of members with different skills and specialisms, in different industries and sectors, to interact with. A large network is handy if you want to meet different people every time, perfect for widening your business network. A smaller or more frequent event lets you hook up with the same people every time. Which in some circumstances might be exactly what you need. There isn’t a right and wrong on this one. Business is about opportunities. And meeting people plays a large part in a successful business.
By Lisa Reynolds, MD of Let Me Do That For You and co-founder of the Brighton Business Curry Club
Day 1: Doing your research
Look at networking events in your area or around where you work. Figure out the ideal times for you to attend – early mornings, evenings, weekly, monthly and so on. Calculate how much you can afford to spend on membership fees and weekly meeting subs. Check out meeting locations, making sure you can get there on time by car or public transport and park easily if you need to.
Explore different types of meetings – formal, social, industry specific, educational. And find out what’s expected of you at each. Do you have to stand up and pitch, give a presentation, answer a Q&A session or just chat amongst yourselves? Then put all the information in a spreadsheet and create an events calendar.
Day 2: Testing, testing, 123
Don’t plan an all-out assault on every single networking event in the county. Pick out your top three based on your preferences, using your spreadsheet to sort events by category and identify those that tick all your favourite boxes. Then pick a fourth ‘wild card’ event to attend, the one you think you’ll like least, and give it a go to check your preconceptions are right. You might hate it. But you might end up unexpectedly having the time of your business life!
Day 3: Planning & executing clear, simple communications
You’ve found some events to attend. If it’s a pitching event, work out exactly what message you want to get across. Don’t expect people to fall at your feet with cheque books flapping open. Just make the best possible job of letting them know exactly what you do, clearly and simply. Keep it light, keep it friendly and keep it in your head. No wads of notes in your hand so everyone can see you shaking but can’t hear your voice because your chin’s on your chest. Practise in front of your family or a mirror. And remember to… breathe!
Day 4: Getting the sartorial side of things sorted out
It’s a networking event. It isn’t a slob around at home, nor is it a date or party night. So wear what you feel comfortable in. Smart / casual always a safe bet, although if it’s a breakfast event you’ll probably be in your work clothes anyway. If it’s an evening event you might want to loosen up a bit and let your hair down, while remaining businesslike. If, when you get there, everyone’s in jeans and t-shirts, you’ll know next time! It’s usually best to look smart your first time just in case. Alternatively, email them and ask what people tend to wear so you’re sure you’ll strike the right tone.
Day 5: Choosing a ‘safe’ arrival time
It’s always best to arrive on time. But sometimes it’s even better to choose your arrival time to suit your confidence level. If you’re feeling a bit farty, it’s the first time you’ve been to an event or you’re worried about butting into people’s conversations, try to get there early when there’s only two or three of you there. It’s much less intimidating than walking into a crowded room, you’re almost guaranteed someone to talk to and you’ll be able to relax. If, on the other hand, you’re bold as brass you can enjoy a dramatic entry on the later side of on time!
Day 6: Being yourself
Just be natural. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. I know there’s nothing more likely to make you start acting weird than trying to ‘act normal’, but you get my drift! Almost everyone feels nervous to one degree or another when meeting new people for the first time. But recent research proves we never look as nervous as we feel. It isn’t difficult. It’s only chat. You’re not pleading for your life, just getting to know other business people like you. Keep it real, chill out, be honest, have fun, meet new friends and remember that, given the choice, we all prefer doing business with people we like and trust. Get in there and ‘nice’ everyone to death! You’ll be fine.
Day 7: Keeping an eye on yourself – working the room
It’s great chatting to people, especially when you ‘click’. But this is a networking event and it’s your job to circulate, so tear yourself away politely and move on. If you’re having a great chat you might not want to, but evaluate the chat as it unfolds. You’re here for business.
Are you on a fruitful track? You don’t want to monopolise others, or be monopolised. You want to meet loads of exciting people but you don’t want to end up speed-networking, exhausting yourself and everyone who crosses your path. It’s a business balancing act you’ll enjoy mastering!
Day 8: Having an aim and a focus
Some people go to networking events to win new business, some like to meet new people and widen their business circle. Some people go for the social side. It doesn’t matter why you’re going to a network event as long as you have a sensible aim.
Make it achievable. Say, to find 2-3 people you’d like to have a coffee with at some point and find out more about their business, and vice versa. Simply collecting loads of business cards to go on your prospects database isn’t usually the done thing!
Day 9: Following up interesting people
Following up is essential. But following up the right way is absolutely vital. Don’t just send out a salesy email to everyone whose business card you collected. It’s off putting. If you’ve been to a larger event where you didn’t meet everyone, don’t send out a blanket email saying ‘it was good to meet you’ when you didn’t. Most of us have good enough memories to remember who we’ve met and who we haven’t. Be honest and straightforward, human and approachable. Just send a quick, friendly email to the people you actually spoke to. Treat people the way you’d like to be treated and you should be fine.
Day 10: Giving events a chance to capture your imagination
It’s hard to get an accurate, full picture of the ‘feel’ of a networking event in just one meeting, unless it’s completely pants! The second time round you’ll be calmer and more confident, knowing what to expect and where to go, with a couple of friendly contacts to connect with while you get your bearings. Give it a second go and see what you think. Most membership events, where they’re asking for a financial and a time commitment, will let you attend twice to make your mind up.
Day 11: Keeping in contact off-network
After an event you can warm things up a little, keeping in contact with people you meet and like via Twitter or LinkedIn. Social media are also a good way to find out more about the people you’ve met, in a different business context. Online social networks are the perfect foil for offline networking and they’re a cheap, convenient way to build strong, positive long-term business relationships. Twitter and so on also provide a great way to find out what other people think of various networking events. Are you missing something fantastic? Keep in touch and you’ll never miss another top networking event again!
Day 12: Knowing when size matters
There are successful networking events with 8 people in them and my own, BBCC, with 125. It’s not the size. It’s what you do with it. All a larger event offers is more choice. There’s no way you can expect to meet all 125 people at one Curry Club event. But being larger, it gives you a broad spectrum of members with different skills and specialisms, in different industries and sectors, to interact with. A large network is handy if you want to meet different people every time, perfect for widening your business network. A smaller or more frequent event lets you hook up with the same people every time. Which in some circumstances might be exactly what you need. There isn’t a right and wrong on this one. Business is about opportunities. And meeting people plays a large part in a successful business.
By Lisa Reynolds, MD of Let Me Do That For You and co-founder of the Brighton Business Curry Club
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If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk