Ever gone to a networking event and ended up only speaking to people you already knew?
I’m sure you had every intention of linking up with new people and building new relationships, but let’s face it. Did you actually do it?
If you didn’t do it as well as you would have liked then I bet you spent much of your time instead with people you already knew.
That might be good for building your relationship with them, but it didn’t expand your network.
Of course, you don’t want to be rude to people you know and ignore them, but how can you stop yourself from simply hanging around with them for the entire event.
Take a tip from PerfectNetworker founder and referral educator, Glenn Garnes on what to do…
How many times do you walk into an event and immediately begin looking for familiar faces? We all do it, but it’s the wrong thing to do. If you hang out with people you already know you’re limiting your opportuunity to meet new people. Networking events should focus on making new connections because the environment is not usually conducive to building relationships. That’s what one-on-one follow ups are for.
So, instead of hanging out with familiar faces, greet them quickly and let them know you came to meet other people you may be able to refer to them. Now, they’ll love you and actually encourage you not to talk too long. Imagine if all your friends each canvassed the room to make connections for each other. Wouldn’t that be a better use of your time and resources than shooting the breeze with people you know already? I have found it to be both fun and productive for everyone involved.
Isn’t this the ideal leverage multiplier you want from networking in the first place?
Keep accountable to others and let them keep you accountable too.
No exceptions.
My wife and I went to a 4-day event this past weekend.
We deliberately spent the first 3 days split up, only reconnecting during the main breaks and in the evening to sleep.
We have ended up with a networking list that’s much bigger, with some nice overlaps too. Now onto the next step…
Did anyone say ”Follow-Up”?
-Martin Russell
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2 Comments
Hi Martin,
This is so true. I went to an event this past weekend and invited a friend who I thought would click with my group of friends who were going to be there. Unfortunately I couldn’t introduce him to anyone new because he was busy catching up with the few people he knew there. Sad, really, because the other friends I had there would have been awesome for him to meet.
A very common problem. I have great difficulty in dealing with it myself. It is even more difficult when someone you know sticks to you like a leech, and if you are the kind of guy who can’t push someone away. Looks like a recipe for deep networking trouble.
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