First of all, I must apologize to the community/to all my readers (or however many there are)/to myself. In an effort to adapt to my new life of work and school, I seem to have failed in other aspects of life that are important to me (even started to sleep less because I opened at work a lot!). But I do have my little own tidbits about networking I want to talk (refer to Phoebe Yu’s blog for excellent to dos/don’ts on networking.
Last weekend, I attended the 2009 Enterprize Canada Business Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. This was a conference full of workshops regarding entrepreneurship, information about businesses in general, and special skills such as negotiation. The weekend schedule looked roughly like this.
Friday – Opening Ceremonies, Workshops, Dinner Social/”Networking”
Saturday – Innovation Challenge, Business Plan Presentations, Gala Dinner, Night Event
Sunday – Back home we go!
Not only did I learn more about myself and what I need to work on to start up my own business (which I am planning on doing sometime in my life with some friends hopefully) but I also got to experience my first “networking” advertised event. And here I move on to my tips for people going to their first networking events!
1. Always introduce yourself to people with confidence Although I wouldn’t say I have much experience networking, I noticed that first impressions really affect how the conversation goes along. If you start off strong, you’ll literally be on a roll. Don’t let networking become a mechanic and rigid thing to do; it should flow well and this skill is definitely an important one in our society.
2. If it’s your first networking event, go with some friends. I did some “research” on networking and they suggest that when you do introduce yourself to business professionals, it is best to be alone so you can get their undivided attention. Plus, that really allows you to develop your relationship with the professional. However, when you first start off, it is hard for probably 98% of people. It really helps to have some friends to talk to and just lighten/warm up a bit before everyone gets rolling. Plus, you attract other colleagues in the same boat as you and they often join and you all have a nice conversation and really help each other develop those strong verbal skills.
3. If you have business cards, great. But don’t hand them out aimlessly. Although I learned this before, I was reminded of it before. Look for quality people who care to listen to what you have to say/give input. There was a group of us speaking with a fellow colleague but the rest of the group ended up showing little interest but in the end I landed a business card because I was engaged in the conversation. If you don’t show respect, don’t expect to get it back in rigourous situations like these. Having one or two great quality contacts is better than having a stack of business cards.
4. Remembering Names is Important. If you don’t remember the person’s name, then the connection is damaged severely. The tip they gave us was to practice dropping their name in the conversation, especially after you introduce yourselves to each other. Being able to recall a name and special highlights of the conversation if you ever meet up with this person again will really show a strong sense of caring.
5. Be firm, but not overwhelming. I know many people go to networking events to look for jobs, but don’t let that be the focus. Sometimes, the best connections are those who can forward you off to other contacts. Networking is about building a network and not necessarily finding a job from the one employer you want because there are many options out there.
6. Notes/reminders actually do help. The first time I heard about bringing a notepad and pen around while I networked, I thought it was a bit silly because it would look unprofessional if you suddenly went to a corner to scribble stuff down. I used my phone at this event and made brief notes/name reminders and it really makes that big of a difference. Not only does it help you get a written reminder, you also unconsciously think about it more after you’ve noted it, thus remembering it better.
7. Last but not least, Don’t forget the Follow Up. If anything is to come out of networking (other than your personal development), it is the follow up, especially within a week. This may seem obvious, but many students forget to do this and this really puts some students apart from others. You may not get anything apparent out of it, but its respectful and will make you feel better. Plus it will give you practice for the future when you may ever have to follow up with a client or even a friend after doing you a favour.
I encourage everyone to go to a networking event, just to feel the vibe and practice your verbals a bit. Humans are social animals and we need to interact to develop. If we can’t interact, we really aren’t preparing ourselves better for the real world to come. Best of luck!