Not to say that you’re an awkward and antisocial person to be around, but you could definitely improve your networking skills-everyone can.
It is commonly said that your network is your net worth and so if you want to truly be successful in whichever niche you’re situated in, you must have some good networking skills.
Now, most people who attend corporate events don’t even put time to think of all the networking opportunities at the functions, leading them to miss out on wonderful opportunities to connect and get inspired by others.
Though we usually write to help event planners and management, today we’ll be turning the table round and providing you, yes you, the event attendee with a few tips on how to master the art of networking at corporate events.
Stay with me, and you’re bound to be equipped with priceless networking skills.
Let’s go.
Importance
Now before we even get into the tips, I need to make sure that you know I’m not waffling on about something that is completely irrelevant.
Networking provides you with opportunities to meet new people, share your ideas with others, learn from others, and form vital friendships and associations within the business world.
To put it short, networking is 100% relevant to any employee, CEO, or associate in the corporate world.
Got it?
Ok, let’s move on.
Here’s a few tips that you can try to boost your networking skills.
1.Don’t Act like A Guest
The truth is guests are shy, quiet, and cautious.
It’s all natural. We can’t even blame them. Being in a new environment with new people is scary for everyone.
However, if you’ve been to a networking event before, you may have experienced that glance at a very outgoing person that makes you think they are one of the hosts. In reality, just like you, that was their first time at such a venue.
So why did you think they were a host?
It’s all about how naturally they behaved within the space.
That’s your task. To act like a host, talk like a host, and suddenly you feel comfortable in what would normally be a strange setting to be in.
2.Look For Open Discussions
One of the key aspects of networking is discussion.
However, the problem is that most people expect the discussion to come to them.
Of course, this happens, but rarely-very rarely-will it be an exceptionally fruitful discussion.
For you to get your hands on opportunities to communicate with people of high calibre and have fruitful conversations worth 15, 20, even 30 minutes of your time, you need to go out searching for them.
At corporate events, all you have to do is look for people who are open to talking at that moment.
If they’re already in a group or pair facing each other, maybe give them a few minutes to finish up.
But if they are in a more seemingly openly conversation with someone else, feel free to jump in as well-you suddenly have the chance to network with two people at once.
3.Dress Like A CEO
Everyone wants to talk to the CEO, no?
Yes, it’s true. So what can you do to become the CEO?
Maybe you could work immensely hard for 15 years of your life until you attain that top position, or you could just dress like one and suddenly you’ve put the temporary CEO status over yourself at any event.
There’s a wonderful quote that says If you want to feel great, dress great and that is the exact same concept applied here.
Dressing in a professional and eloquent manner makes you stand out as important, attracting more conversations.
Not only that, but you’ll feel important too, resulting in a spike in confidence.
Sounds like a win-win to me.
4.Give And Give Some More
I can tell you’re already wondering what we’re talking about giving.
Don’t worry though, you can relax, we’re not talking about giving out of your wallet.
We’re talking about giving the conversation to others.
We call this practising conversation generosity.
You see, most of the time we talk too much without even realising it. And though you may have very valuable things to say, after a few minutes of listening to you drone on, your partner or partners in conversation begin to lose interest.
So make sure you’re generous with the conversation.
Practice listening more than speaking-it makes others feel valued when you seem more interested in hearing about them than in speaking about yourself.
This increases people’s appreciation of discussions with you, increasing your opportunities to network.
5.Following Up
Finally, we come to follow up.
Following up is all about extending conversation or discussions beyond the corporate function.
You need to be doing this with people who are more than just one-time opportunities to learn from and discuss with but instead present themselves as a lifelong source of inspiration, resources perhaps, and even friendship.
So make sure you don’t let the relationships formed at the event water down into nothing as soon as you exit the door.
Take the contacts of people that you found interesting and follow them up, building stronger relationships from then onwards.
That’s how networking really works. You must remain interconnected with each other beyond the walls of the function.
Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Try, Try, and Try Some More
Before I close, I need to make sure you understand one more thing.
People are different and so what worked well when networking with one, may not be the same with another.
That’s why you have to make sure that you are open to networking in various different ways with people from various different backgrounds if you want to be successful in network growth.
Now, if you’re an event planner that decided to read through this wonderful guide to networking and you may be looking to host such an event soon, you’re in just the right place.
With Tellit events, you can rest assured that a perfectly set-up-for-networking function will be delivered while you sit back and prepare yourself for what will be an absolutely stunning event.
All you have to do is find out more with the button below.
I’ll see you on the other side!
