Want to network with more confidence?

When I say NETWORKING EVENT, do you break out in a cold sweat?

I'm one of those strange people who love to go to networking events.  I don't really feel nervous, even if I'm on my own because I have a little GAME PLAN I follow which helps me every time, and hopefully it can help you to network with confidence too.    My game plan ensures that I feel at ease entering the room because I know what I'm going to do in the first 5-10 minutes to get myself comfortable, prepared and ready to go!

Would you like to know my ‘settle your nerves' game plan?

Learning how to network with confidence or just feel comfortable connecting with others is important when you're looking to develop your network and community.  Whether you work in the corporate world or you're a business owner, effective networking can ensure you're meeting and connecting with the right people both online and offline. We're social creatures by nature, so take advantage of your desire to build relationships with some tips from the experts as well as a few that I've picked up along the way.

Your ability to get in there, be confident and approachable will help you build the relationships that you need in order to forge the career and connections you want.

Game Plan 1- The Power of Purpose

When you walk into a room, take a look around, get a feel for the place, the people and the layout.  I usually look for someone who is greeting people as they arrive or can point you in the direction to get your name badge etc.  These people are often the organisers and if the door line isn't too busy then they are a great first person to have a quick chat with.  By having a clear purpose of where you want to go when you enter the room, you'll feel more at ease from the start.  Having a purpose and plan creates certainty and puts us at ease.

Game Plan 2 – Scope the Room

I always head for the drinks, tea/coffee, water area so that I have time to scope out the room, grab a drink {usually this helps with nerves if you have something in your hands} and then decide who you would like to approach.   Once again having a plan of what I need to do next i.e.:  grabbing a drink gives you purpose once again, instead of just standing in the centre of a room, or off to the side by yourself twiddling your thumbs.

Game Plan 3 – The Approach

Ok, this is where you'll need to muster your courage if you find it hard approaching people.  This can be the scary bit for most people, so you have a few option ~

• obviously try and find people you know, or if you don't know anyone there, then maybe take a look for someone standing on their own.  Just put yourself in their place, how happy would you be if you were standing on your own and someone came up and introduced themselves and started chatting?  It's a win-win situation most of the time and you'll always be a welcome addition, so don't be shy.
• As you approach the person, smile, be pleasant and make small talk…. i.e.:  ‘Morning, how are you? I'm {name}; it's always good to get a coffee in before things kick off.' the conversation will flow from there I'm sure.  Usually it takes the direction of ‘what do you do?' ‘why are you here?' ‘ do you know anyone else' etc.
• Ask questions ~ be interested and ask questions when talking to new people as it will help you remember them as well and know if they are someone you think you would like to catch up again with in the future. Remember this is a networking event!
• Listen ~ active listening is so important to ensure that the person knows you're interested.  As Carnegie {How to Win Friends & Influence people} says, ‘people love to talk about themselves'. If you can get people to discuss their experiences and opinions; and listen with sincere interest, you can have a great conversation with someone without having to say much at all.
• People like to hear their own name, so when you meet someone, use their name in conversation. This will help you not only remember their name for later but by doing so, it makes the other person feel more comfortable, like you really know them and they know you.

 

Game Plan 4- The Houdini

You're not always going to get talking to the most interesting person in the room every single time, and that's okay.   If you find that the conversation isn't there, then it's easy to say ‘Well it was lovely to meet you, enjoy the conference/morning/evening, I'm going to try and mingle a bit before it all starts' ~ don't feel like you HAVE to stay if the conversation's not flowing as it will just become awkward.

Even if it's not awkward, remember that you have a limited amount of time at the event, so even if you do like the person you're talking to, it's always worth continuing to meet others either by yourself or with your new buddy so that you can make the most of the event.

Game Plan 5 – Work the Room

Remember that you're here for a reason.  You're looking to meet new people and build your network, so make sure you always have business cards handy, they're an effective way for you to leave your name behind so that people remember who you are.

Game Plan 6 – Be ‘YOUER' than you!

There are so many great tips to help you network more effectively but none more so than just be yourself! Trying to be something you're not or trying to be someone you're not never ends well and people can tell if you're not authentic.  So just enjoy the conversation, take in what you can, discard what you don't need and follow up with people who really take your interest.  Most people are on LinkedIn or Twitter these days so it's easy to connect without too much fuss.

Hopefully, some of these tips have been helpful as I know networking in a room full of strangers can be harder for some more so than others, but the benefits are priceless and will help you build friendships as well as business relationships to move you forward.

 

Do you have great tips on how to network more effectively?  If so, then leave them in the comments below to help others learn how to network with confidence!