"The red blouse will do.” An important uncanny approach to networking is wearing a brightly coloured shirt or blouse. Another way to portray this is to wear a bright tie that stands right out. If you are the shy type, you may wear a plain shirt inside and an astounding tie. It makes everyone around comment on your tie rather than your whole outfit.
The next point though sometimes overlooked because of the toned-down degree of formality attached to seminars, breakfast meetings, workshops or conferences, is punctuality. It is very distinctive to be the first or among the first guests or attendees to any networking opportunity. Getting to a networking event early means you have more time to make more contacts and being early takes away the uncomfortable feeling of “breaking into a group”.
Remembering names
Remembering people’s name is a challenge for some people. Most networking events have nametags available at registration while some others might require you having introductory meetings with the attendees. Make sure you get their first names. It might be challenging at first but it becomes easier after exchanging business cards and you call the person by first name at least three times during your conversation.
Preparing for meetings or conferences
Preparing for a meeting or conference is crucial. This is arguably the most essential driver in networking properly. You have to examine all pre-meeting materials and study them beforehand-at least the night or a couple of hours before. The level of relevance to your area of specialization should be ascertained. With that degree of relevance, try to note down the current challenges being faced in the industry. It is important to keep in mind that you will not have been invited for a meeting if there were no role for you to play. Hence, don’t make yourself appear redundant.
After studying such materials, a number of questions might have come up in your mind. Keep some of them for the plenary sessions and if there are any breakaway sessions, pose them to the appropriate experts. If there are not experts, pose the queries during the general question session. You will get those who can give a hint or provide an answer. You can also apply these tips using your discretion, even if it were an evening having beer with colleagues. Remember, the key to exuding effective boldness builds up before the meeting. Always respect the opinions of other attendees but do not be afraid to speak your mind. This will make your networking more engaging and exceptional.
Networking is not about you! At networking you get to ask what projects people are working on. If there are any challenges, you can make suggestions or recommend experts in the industry. For you to be appreciated as an outstanding professional and not the regular type, ask questions, ask for other people’s names and their ongoing projects. Do not pose as being too serious. It is also not a time to speak about job vacancies or make sales. When you return to your office, send a non-generic ‘Thank You e-mail to every attendee you met and mention how each one contributed uniquely to the success of your meeting. It is no secret that with these interactions, you will be one of the first to be alerted on the next business lunch, get-together, workshop or even a job opening.
Learn how to network effectively with Xsell - call us on (08) 9260 0000 for information.