Five pro tips for business networking

There’s plenty of new collaboration and video conferencing technology we can use. However, the best way to build strong connections is to meet people face to face. That’s why we’ve set up our own business networking events to help you meet new people. 

 

Here are our top five tips to help you make the most of every business networking opportunity. 

 

One: Be prepared. If you don’t know why you’re coming along to a business networking event you probably won’t achieve much. People attend for all sorts of reasons, so don’t expect everyone to have the same motivation. That’s why it’s important to tell everyone why you’re in the room. 

 

You might want to meet experts or learn from people with plenty of business experience. However, don’t treat networking events as opportunities to sell. When people find out more about you, they might want to buy your products or services. That’s a conversation for another day. 

 

You can give yourself a head start by finding out who is likely to be at the event. LinkedIn is a great way to find out more and make online introductions in advance. Then you have a ready-made reason to start your conversations. 

 

Two: Make a good first impression. Before you’ve had an opportunity to say anything people will unconsciously make assumptions about you and what you do. You can help yourself a lot by thinking about what to wear and how to manage the first few minutes. 

 

Everyone is understandably nervous about walking in to a room of strangers, but we’re all in the same position. You can ask the organisers to introduce you to someone. Pour hot drinks for other people and start a conversation. If you have branded workwear decide whether you’ll wear it. It all depends on the most important thing you would like people to remember about you. 

 

Three. Explain what you do. It seems simple and obvious, but there’s an art to being memorable. You might say you install telephones or manufacture car parts. However, it’s more interesting to say you help people communicate using the latest technology or you help drivers avoid breakdowns. 

 

People want to find out about everyone in the room quickly. There’s often an opportunity to share a little about your business and who you’d like to meet. Make sure you think about what you will say in advance and practice out loud so you’re confident. 

 

Four. Listen to others. It’s easy to focus on what’s coming next and how you’ll respond. Other people might feel the same. That’s why it’s important to listen as much as you speak. Then you can share relevant experiences and give information and advice right from the start. 

 

Showing genuine interest in others is an excellent way to make a good impression. Of course, you can get completely absorbed in a conversation but don’t stay with one person for too long. You can always suggest you meet for coffee another time. Welcome others to join you and move on to speak to someone else. 

 

Five. Build connections. If you discover useful shared interests send people a brief message to say so after the meeting. Arrange a telephone call or another meeting to follow up. This is an ideal way to build long-term connections and a supportive business community.