In Part 1 and Part 2 of this post I gave you the 8 steps in how to network at a conference, including how to work a room.  Networking is easier than you think.  People a lot less capable than you network effectively all the time.  Networking is easier with a plan and Parts 1 and 2 tell you the plan.  Here’s your bonus.

Bonus Advice #1

Plan to collect only 10 cards at the conference or meeting.  Only 10?!?  Think about it.  Why in the world would I say “only 10”?  Here’s why:

• no one you meet will become part of your network unless you follow up with them and stay in contact with them
• you’ll want to stay in contact but you’ll give up if there are too many business cards to follow up with
• the important people you want to stay in contact with will get lost in the forest of business cards and you’ll lose contact with them too.

Meet and have enjoyable conversations with lots of people, but plan – in advance – to stay in contact with only a fraction of them.

How Do I Do That?

Plan your conversations and your open-ended questions so that they lead somewhere.  Plan your conversations so that they lead you to conclude whether you should spend your time staying in contact with this particular person, taking time away from staying in contact with another person.

Everyone exchanges business cards; put into your “Contacts” and into your After-Conference Plan those people you actually will stay in contact with.  Throw the other cards in the back of your top drawer; you might want them some day.

Bonus Advice #2

Here’s what will make the expense of the conference worthwhile and make it possible to send those emails we talked about in Part 2 and in your After-Conference Plan:  write on the back of every business card you accept.  Write down the conference name and date.  Write down the key words that will help you remember the person.  Write down the information they’re seeking that you offered to send them.  Write down what they said they’re working on and that you’ll mention in your follow-up email.  Write down what organization they’d like you to speak at.  Write it all down.

If someone comes up to talk to you while you’re writing, smile at them, and say, “May I just have a moment?  I want to get down what was so interesting about that person.”  The person who walked up to you will think you’re cool.

Bonus Advice #3

No, wait, there’s more:  3 of the cards you accept should be the cards of the 3 people you went to the conference to meet.  What’s that you say?  You didn’t think through the event in advance and pick out 3 important people to meet?  Oh my goodness.  Be sure to do that next time.

As we talked about in Part 2, call or write your new contacts the next day, if only to thank them and tell them you’re sending a LinkedIn request.  Do NOT put this off.  I guarantee you won’t do it later if you don’t do it the next day.

If you want to bet me $50 that you will contact everyone later, they will respond, and the conversation will keep going, I will accept the bet.  If you accept the bet, then, when writing the person 2 weeks later, be  sure to remind them of some way to remember you.  But you won’t get much of a reaction, because they won’t remember you well enough to write back.  They won’t think you’re worth staying in touch with if it took you 2 weeks to write.

The advice in these three Parts will carry you through quite well.  Do you agree?  What advice would you change?  Networking can be a tough job and we need your input.  Please click “Comment” above and join in.

 

In Part 1 of this post I gave you the first 3 steps in how to network at a conference, including how to work a room.  Here are the last 5 steps.  Networking is easier with a plan.

Network Your Way Around A Room

Part 1 and Part 2 (today) explain how to approach and network with strangers at conferences in a gracious, natural, nonthreatening way that will lead to natural, productive conversations.  If you’re nervous about networking, memorize and execute the steps.

Everything gets easier with a plan.  In Part 1 we made a Conference Plan.  We also made an After-Conference Plan, because following up with contacts afterwards and building relationships with people after the conference is why we went to the conference in the first place.  Right?

It’s the day before the conference.  Let’s get ready and go.

Get Ready

Take along enough business cards.  It’s my opinion the back of your business cards should be blank.  See my “business cards” advice in the bonus material (look for it this week).

You’ll use open-ended questions to talk with people.  Have your questions ready.  Don’t know what they are, or need some help?   Follow this great advice.

Walk Into The Room

1. Walk into the room.  Take a moment to survey the room and the crowd.  Take just a moment; don’t worry, you won’t look nervous, all good networkers look over the room when they enter.  Bette Davis did it.  If you feel extremely nervous, and you see someone you know, go join them.  But remember, you are here to meet people you don’t know.
2. Feeling shy?  Go to the food table and hang out near the end or corner of the table.  Eat casually, and when people approach, be ready to look up, mention the food, and mention something else about the conference.  Ask them what they think of the food or the conference.  Continue with open-ended questions.

Now Bump It Up a Notch

1. When you’re ready, scan the room.  If you see one of the 3 important people you want to meet, approach the person, if she’s in a group of three or more.  If you don’t see her, choose a group of three people in conversation, and approach them.  (You can walk up to a duo but chances are greater they’re having a private conversation.  Choose a trio when you can.)  Walk up, stand slightly to the side of one person where there’s a gap, and make eye contact with the person opposite you.  Look pleased to be there, but don’t grin like a clown.  Don’t look vacant.  Look at the people in the group with intention; otherwise they won’t know you want to join the conversation.
2. When there’s a slight lull in conversation, stick out your hand and say “Excuse me.  I don’t believe we’ve met.  My name is __” to someone in the group you don’t know.   Be the first to do this; you’ll feel less awkward if you don’t wait.  After all, they might be shy and will make you wait forever, in which case you’ll wilt and slink away.  We don’t want that.
3. After exchanging names, company names (please have an interesting two-sentence-long self-introduction ready, no longer), and possibly business cards, it’s polite to say “Please, go on with what you were discussing.”  Wait patiently for a few rounds of conversation, and then say something brief and appropriate.  Say something that invites comment.  Ask your open-ended questions.  Do the same if there’s a lull in conversation.

That’s It.  You Did It.

That’s it.  You’ve joined a group of strangers, been gracious, made contact, and contributed to the conversation.  Pat yourself on the back.

How Do I Walk Away?

Walking away from your little group isn’t as hard as you think.  But don’t rush off; you don’t want to look like you’re there just to collect business cards.  But after you’ve contributed several rounds of conversation and you want to continue mingling, then, when there’s a slight lull in conversation, say, with a smile, “I’ve enjoyed meeting you and talking with you.  I believe I’ll go on circulating a bit.  I hope to run into you at breakfast.”

Put Your After-Conference Plan Into Action Right Away

The conference is over.  You’re met some people and have a stack of business cards.  Most importantly, you achieved your goal of meeting and speaking with 3 people who are important to you or your career.  Take a bow.

Don’t Be In The 90%

Any idea how many people come home with a stack of business cards and their career never shows any sign that they were ever at the conference?  In my experience, the number is 90%.  Don’t be in that number.  It’s time to put your After-Conference Plan into action.

The more quickly you swing into action on your After-Conference Plan, the more likely you are to actually make contact with your new contacts!  And then the more likely you are to make the second contact with them in 3 weeks.

Be Helpful and Memorable

The very evening the conference is over is not too soon to send out your first emails (use the skeleton email you wrote in Part 1 of this post) saying “It was terrific meeting you”.  Mention where you met and what you spoke about to make it easier to remember you.  Make yourself even more memorable now by expanding on the conversation with a sentence or two, possibly adding a helpful link.  If the recipient is one of the 3 important people you wanted to meet at the conference, do a very good job of being helpful.

Keep In Contact

In your Conference Plan, you blocked out time  – only about 20 minutes – every 3 weeks for staying in touch.  Check your calendar and see if you want to make any changes.  As the days pass, make notes about industry news and links you want to email to each of the 3 important people.  Always be helpful first;  if you want to ask for help or advice, make sure you’ve been helpful for many, many weeks first.

That’s it.  The 8 guaranteed steps to networking your way across a room and across a career!

Please click “Comment” and give us your opinion.  Would these steps work for you?  What is your most effective networking advice? 

There’s bonus material (look for it this week) in the Part 3 of this two-part series (email me directly if you catch the humor…eva@evabowman.com).   Enjoy the bonus material and please comment on this post !

 

 

I had a lovely time speaking about personal leadership last night at the National Association of Women in Construction, Coastal Georgia chapter.  One of the attendees asked for advice on how to work a room. How to network in a roomful of strangers at a conference.  Here’s how.  It’s easier with a plan.

Network Your Way Around A Room

Part 1 (today) and Part 2 (tomorrow) of this post will explain how to approach and network with strangers at conferences in gracious, natural, nonthreatening ways that will lead to natural, productive conversations.  If you’re nervous, memorize and execute the steps.  I’m good at working my way around a room, and I use these steps.

Let’s Get Started

While it’s possible to network and even enjoy yourself at a meeting you haven’t prepared for, to try to network with no preparation won’t be very productive.  You won’t be very effective.  Which means you’ll do a poor job.

It’s common sense: when you know you’re not going to be effective or productive at the reception, you’re not likely to go.  If you do go, you’ll be nervous.  You’re not likely to relax or network very well.

Successful Networks

So give yourself a leg up.  Do what successful networkers do:  (1) make preparations ahead of time and (2) make a plan.  In under 25 minutes.

1. Make it a lot easier on yourself:  load up on information ahead of time.
   • Two weeks before the conference, take 1 minute to write down the kind of attendees this conference will attract.
   • Take 1 more minute to write down exactly who is likely to be there, and not likely to be there, based on the conference’s topic and the way it’s been marketed.  Are they people you need to meet?
   • Take 4 minutes and go to the conference website and to lanyrd.com to check who’s attending, who’s speaking, and read their bios.  Two more minutes to check out past attendee lists, the current attendee list, and scan slide decks from this conference and past conferences at lanyrd.com.
   • Add 8 minutes:  What do LinkedIn and Twitter say about the conference?
     • Do your LinkedIn groups know about this conference?  Do they recommend it?  Are they going?  Have you asked?  Have you asked group members for advice about what to see and whom to meet at this particular conference?
   • That’s 16 minutes.  From what you’ve learned, is this a conference you should be attending?  Or is your time better spent on the next one?
   • If you should attend this conference, then let’s get to it!

2. Make a Conference Network Plan.   Take 5 minutes.  Write your conference plan:

   • From your prep work, list 3 people you absolutely want to speak with at the conference, in priority order.  Write out your specific question to each person; this is very important.
   • Make contact with those 3 people ahead of time, about 10 days before the conference.  A brief, gracious email is fine; find their email on Google, LinkedIn, or lanyrd.com.  Have a mutual acquaintance introduce you via email or LinkedIn, if you can.
     • Invite them to coffee or a drink at the conference, or mention the session where you can introduce yourself.  Mention a mutual acquaintance, something you have in common, or a question about the session.  Invite them to check your LinkedIn profile, and to be back in touch.
     • You can also use a Direct Message on Twitter or a message or Introduction Request on LinkedIn.  Just don’t use all these routes.

3. Make an After-Conference Network Plan.  Take 4 minutes.

   • You already know the best advice for following up after a conference:  get in touch the next day and stay in regular touch.
   • Block time in your calendar NOW for getting in touch the next day.  Here’s the big take-away here and the huge advantage of your Conference Network Plan:
     • Your plan called for you to meet only 3 important people.  The day after the conference, it will take less than 10 minutes to email or message all 3 people.  Block out that time on your calendar now.
     • Block time on your calendar now to connect afterwards with any and all attendees on LinkedIn.  Use lanyrd.com to help.
     • Champion networkers go one step further now.  For the email they’ll use after the conference to get in touch the first time, they prepare a skeleton email now, leaving blanks they’ll fill in later.  The skeleton email is a cinch to write since a champion networker already knows what session or reception they met the person at, and question they asked the person.  They can even mention they were in touch before the conference!  Note:  a champion networker prepares the skeleton email now, before the conference.  Preparing it now removes one more roadblock to the all-important follow-up afterwards.
   • Block time in your calendar now to get in touch with the person about every 3 weeks.  Write in your calendar now the industry subject, event, or mutual acquaintance you’ll mention in that future email.  Change these reminders to yourself as events change.

By the way, if you meet, have a productive conversation with, and successfully and graciously stay in touch with even one of the important people you wrote down in your pre-plan, that will be a success.  Most people don’t do that.

These are the first 3 steps.  Now you’re ready to go to the conference, put your Plan into action and get a return on the money and time you’re spending on the conference. You’ve thought through the event and you’re ready to do a fine job, and get a good return.

Please click “Comment” above and share your favorite networking advice.  There is so much good advice out there.  Also be sure to tune in to Networking Part 2 and Networking Bonus Material.