Most of us go to networking events to make new contacts and to maintain our existing relationships. Both are equally important. These are the 5 steps of attending a network event that can help attendants to networking events make the most of it: preparing, making contact, having a conversation, ending the conversation and following up.
Most of us go to networking events to make new contacts and to maintain our existing relationships. Both are equally important. Some people only want to expand their network and tend to neglect their existing contacts. Others don’t know how to approach new people, feel uncomfortable doing so or feel ‘guilty’ when they leave the groups they already belong for a long time to.
Here are 5 steps of attending a network event that can help both groups make the most of it:
Step 1: Preparation
Most people don’t prepare for an event. But they do complain afterwards, saying that they wasted their time or didn’t meet the right people. So before attending an event, ask yourself following questions: what is my goal at the event? Who do I want to meet? And is this event the best place to meet these people? Is there enough time for networking? And who are the organisers?
Step 2: Making contact
This is what most people find the most difficult part: making contact with other people, especially if this is a whole new situation or event. Here are some tips:
Step 3: Having a conversation
After you have established contact, how can you go for a real conversation?
Step 4: Ending the conversation
At an event you and the person you are talking to are both there to meet new people and maintain existing relationships. So it’s OK to end the conversation after approximately 15 minutes. You don’t have to stick together the whole event. But how do you do that?
Step 5: Follow up
Whatever your goal at the event was, the results are in the follow up. However, this is the part that most people forget to do. Some things to keep in mind:
Good luck at your next event !
Golden triangle of networking
Networking is one of the most important skills in business life. But how do we maintain our relationships? The Golden Triangle of Networking is a very easy and profound method to do this.The difference between hard selling and networking
The main difference between selling and networking is that in a sales process the goal of the interaction between two people is the sale of a product or service. When networking, this sale could be the consequence of a contact that is built with respect and care. So it is clear that the sale is not the goal of networking, but a nice and in many cases a logical consequence.It IS a small world: the “6 degrees of proximity”
Do you remember the last time you were on a holiday and met another compatriot? Ten to one, one of you made the remark: “It is a small world, isnt’t it?”. This is what the “6 degrees of separation” are about. Nowadays business networking websites like LinkedIn and Xing show you these degrees. What is the value of this insight for me? That we can deal with each other in a different way on events, receptions, online networks and other networking functions. No hard selling, but helping each other.