Featured article by Nicole Cowart, Independent Technology Author
Recall how you usually behave at business conferences. You probably choose the most secluded place in the room, and during breaks, you drink coffee in solitude. Or you do not attend such events at all, considering it a waste of time.
If so, then you are making a huge mistake. After all, during informal communication at business events, you can find people useful to your company – customers, contractors, partners, etc. Hence, it is important to learn the art of networking during such events. Today, we have prepared for you seven tips on how to do social business networking without much effort.
A few words about networking
Networking is an establishment and maintenance of useful contacts. Without knowing it, we are engaged in networking all the time. The practice of mutually beneficial connections has penetrated all spheres of our life, but it is for a business that useful acquaintances play the most important role.
1. GET YOURSELF CLASSIC BUSINESS CARDS
Despite the fact that business cards became obsolete more than a dozen years ago, they are still among the most important tools for establishing contacts and continuing communication along with promoting business through social media. If you came to an event without business cards – your business networking opportunities would fall below the waterline.
2. COME EARLY, LEAVE LATE
As a first guest, you have a chance to talk one-on-one with several people before the start of the main fuss. You will also have an additional bonus: you can create initial impression before your interlocutors are lost in the sea of business cards and handshakes. Perhaps you will have so many fruitful conversations in the first half hour, that there will be no reason to stay for the whole event and eat snacks in solitude struggling to cope with bouts of demophobia.
The same applies to leaving late. Sometimes, the most interesting things happen at the very end: the most intimate contacts, the most interesting interlocutors, the most productive communication and valuable insights – occurs after the main crowd has broken off and the people tired of the event will wander to their homes to do some advertising through social media. Do not miss these opportunities, stay a little longer and you will be rewarded.
3. TRY TO RELAX
This advice sounds like a cliché, but in fact, essence of business networking is a friendly communication and establishing pleasant contacts with new people but not a social media marketing plan or a telephone conversation with attempts to sell something. This is an acquaintance with new people. Some of them eventually can become your best friends, investors for your project, a new employer/partner or, perhaps, a future wife or husband.
4. SET OBJECTIVES: EXACT NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO MEET
Even if you have mastered all the previous tips, you can still be shy about dealing with strangers. This is the norm! You can be a savvy entrepreneur, a creative thinker, a talented programmer, but no one will find out anything about you if you cannot even open your mouth!
Here is a small lifehack: set yourself a goal to talk to a certain number of people and stick to it no matter how things are going. If you promise yourself that you are going to speak with at least ten new people, do not break your promise. Give yourself an ice cream or an extra hour of playing Warcraft if you manage to keep your word.
5. DO NOT TO BE IMPOSING
If you notice people standing alone sadly staring into the distance or staring at their smartphones googling “social media for new business” – these are ideal candidates for communication! However, you need to double-check you do not impose yourself and act natural. For example, if you have an essay writing service, make sure not to start a conversation encouraging your interlocutors to buy custom essay for cheap on your site.
6. SHOW KEEN INTEREST
If you are an observant and thoughtful person, you might be an excellent listener. Use these skills. When you start a conversation, do not try to drown the interlocutor in the ocean of your ideas or professional skills. Ask why they came to the event and do not switch immediately to your company. Ask how they got into this business or to this position, what they like the most about their job, what they have created or experienced in recent times. If you feel comfortable, ask about hobbies or family. This creates the right impression!
7. USE SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR REAL COMMUNICATION
This advice is best for those who are looking for employees. Professional sites like LinkedIn, which is a social network for business owners, are a terrific way to find the right people, but they are poorly suited for building real relationships that can lead to a cooperation offer for your company.
Follow our advice, and you will get acquainted with a number of people who can benefit your company a lot.
About the Author
Nicole Cowart is a self-made entrepreneur with a company worth a few million US dollars. She is also a blogger striving to share her knowledge on how to become a successful businessperson.
