Supper conversations...

So last night’s Spotlight Supper with the Chamber proved to be another great event, as usual, it had all the ingredients of a successful networking opportunity;  interesting and interested attendees from a range of industries, great speakers, great interaction, great food, great wine, great conversation and great topics.

As always I met a massive variety of people and we discussed a huge range of issues and challenges that business owners face in their play grounds.  Some of the conversations included everything from seasonal peaks and troughs, to strategies to attract new clients, new suppliers, new franchisees and business partners.  Other conversations covered raising finance, choosing the right business model, divergence of technology, how to meet decision makers and how to make networking work for you.

There was also a really interesting interview with Mike Herd, Executive Director at Sussex Innovation Centre, who in a very short space of time touched on many interesting areas and analogies – with a few funnies thrown in for good measure.

All in all, it was another useful and enjoyable evening... but there was one conversation which played on a loop in my brain all the way home.  How do you make networking work for you?  Different networking groups and events take on different formats and have different attendees.  Each with their own pro’s and con’s I’m sure.  Networking can in itself be a full time job if you let it, so how do we ensure we are getting the most from it and making network work?

I’m by no means an expert but I do seem to have some success and take some pleasure in networking, while others dread the idea of striking up conversations with strangers or take the ‘sales animal’ approach where their sole mission is to get as many business cards exchanged as possible! 

It seems to me that the secret of successful networking is conversation – how many great business opportunities, business introductions or business deals were born out of conversation.  And I don’t mean pitching... I mean real, honest, old fashioned, two way dialogue which includes asking questions and really listening to people without any other agenda than genuine interest?  It’s just a thought...

By Lydia Carey, ProTalent
Follow Lydia's blogs here: www.lydiacarey.wordpress.com

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk