How do you prepare for networking events?

It’s about meeting people, sharing who you are and what you do, and gaining some valuable contacts and information that you can use in your job search or at work in the future.

Preparing for networking events can greatly enhance your experience and maximize your opportunities. Define what you want to achieve from the event. Whether it’s making new connections, finding potential job opportunities, or learning from industry experts, having clear goals will keep you focused.

Preparing for networking events can greatly enhance your experience and maximize your opportunities. Define what you want to achieve from the event. Whether it’s making new connections, finding potential job opportunities, or learning from industry experts, having clear goals will keep you focused.

Good pre-preparation for these events maximizes your chances of success. The most interesting people there will likely have their own plans and agendas. They will be selective with whom they spend their time in conversations. Some of these events might offer a list of delegates, speakers, and participants upfront. Do your research and come up with a shortlist of 3 to 5 people/companies (minimum) you would like to connect with.

Some ways to prepare for a networking event are -I look at the lineup of guest speakers and then I spend some time researching their backgrounds and make a list of any questions for the speakers that I might have for them -I look at the guest speakers Linked In Page, and/or their social media pages and I evaluate their pages. Ex) what do I like about their pages? A. Then I follow the suggested followers from their pages.

We must identify the theme of the event and read a learn a about it as much as possible. This will enable to have longer and meaningful conversations with the participants of the event and leave a longer lasting impact on the people you interacted with. Also keep a smile on your face to make yourself more approachable with more focus on listening and asking question about them rather then taking too much about yourself. Find there topics they get connected to easily. Understand their body language.

In my experience, networking events are a great opportunity to meet new partners and prospective clients but many people try too hard to impress or “close” the deal right away. Instead, try connecting with the person first outside of any work context. Ask about their family, hobbies, or upcoming vacation schedule. From there, you can build organic rapport and start to connect your product or service to their needs after establishing trust. In the follow up email when are looking to book a more formal call, stand out from your competition by leveraging the personal information they shared with you in the email subject line. Try to trigger emotion and keep it brief. Try this out at your next event and let me know how it goes!

Have a few good questions in your back pocket. Asking the other person about her background and work will show her that you’re interested in more than just your own job opportunities. The best questions are ones that can’t be answered by just “yes” or “no

Remember, you only have one chance to leave a good first impression! Prepare your introduction to potential partners, clients, and stakeholders well. Keep it short, interesting, and compelling. Then, be prompt in deciding whether to invest more time in a conversation or to move on to the next person.

Mindset is important as well. To get the most out of any networking event, a person should have a positive mindset towards the topic and the agenda events. Having a positive mindset gives you the ability to be flexible and open to new ideas and meeting new contacts. The happier you are about the decision you made to attend the networking event, the more relaxed you will be to enjoy networking. Remember, your attitude (mindset)determines your altitude.

Do your planning, but be ready to improvise, as these events tend to be quite dynamic and full of surprises. Be genuine in your approach to people; you don't need to close the deal during your first meeting. Keep the interaction interesting and leave the door open for a follow-up meeting where you can share more details about your value proposition

First of all, be genuine; no one likes fake people. Then, dress as you would for your next job, and remember: you only have one chance to leave a good first impression!

Do your planning, but be ready to improvise, as these events tend to be quite dynamic and full of surprises. Be genuine in your approach to people; you don't need to close the deal during your first meeting. Keep the interaction interesting and leave the door open for a follow-up meeting where you can share more details about your value proposition

I think it is also important to find out who will be there (if possible) and reach out before the event. This allows you to make a plan to meet / talk when there and after all a warm contact is better than a cold contact.

Nowadays there are events where upfront you make "speed appointments" with the people whom you like to talk to. Often it is in conjunction with plenary sessions on certain specific topics, for example, decarbonization. During breaks these "speed dates" take place. This enables you to prepare your pitch and..... meet other people who were not on your list. This is the perfect combination of effectively meeting those you want to meet and the "surprise" of getting to know others.

A few days after the event, send follow-up emails to anyone you met that you’d like to continue networking with. Make sure to personalize each email, letting each person know you enjoyed meeting them and mentioning something that you talked about. A tip: One of the quickest ways to stop a connection is to send someone a generic LinkedIn invite.

The golden rule in true networking is "Givers Get"! You have to be more interested in what your new connection does and what their challenges are vs. what they can do for you. I built my business by building a "I gotta person that can help you" contact list. People in your network will reciprocate when they find someone that needs your solution set or services. Over the years, my network has built up that I get pulled into "I don't know anyone, but I know a guy who might" conversations. That is how you add value to networking.