How do you approach networking events to maximize your opportunities and connections?

Networking events offer excellent opportunities to meet new people. Before attending, review the list of attendees to identify who you want to meet and what you hope to discuss. Prepare some opening questions and your personal introduction to ease conversation flow. Carrying a notebook to jot down names and key details can also be helpful.

You can use LinkedIn to pre-connect with attendees, start conversations and set the stage for in-person interactions. This pre-event engagement can make face-to-face meetings more productive and gives a personal note. It also shows your proactiveness.

Networking events are great events to connect with many individuals! Before an event they often will provide you with a list of other attendees which will help you outline who you would like to connect with, the conversations you would like to have, and the goal that you are working towards. In addition, prior to an event make sure to have a list of a few opening questions that help you connect with others. During this time you often will need to give your personal statement of who you are and the team you represent. Preparing for these type of questions will often help your nerves and help with conversational flow. I've often had a notebook handy to write down names and information after conversations.

Preparing your elevator pitch is one of the most important things you can do before attending a networking event. Bear in mind that the attendees will be talking to multiple people throughout the event so what can you say that would make people remember you? Will what you say engage them in a conversation or are they going to just smile and walk away? First impression counts and this is something that you can definitely prepare for!

Networking events are a fantastic (and underrated!) way to grow an authentic personal brand in your craft and expand your employer brand awareness in the community. There's a fine art to sharing enough to gain people's attention whilst also not coming across as a real life depiction of "We've been trying to contact you about your car's extended warranty..." ?? Active listening is a talent, and here's a hint for you: It's not all about listening to their words... but their body language too. Us human's have an innate ability to detect genuity so be yourself, engage and have fun.

My approach is always to focus on the quality rather than the quantity of conversations. Deep, meaningful interactions often lead to stronger, more beneficial professional relationships than numerous superficial encounters.

I think most of you will agree that the people you respect and trust the most are friendly and genuine people. These relationships you are going to build at a the networking event are to gain and show support to others. Some will be in your industry and some may not. In order to be of value to others, you must come off as genuine. Professionals see through fakeness almost all the time. Your goal should be to find common interests and build on those. Speak and let the other person speak. Do not take over the conversation. This goes a long way in building relationships.

Whenever I talk to someone during an event, I always try to connect with them on LinkedIn on the spot if possible. I find this the easiest as I can always check back on LinkedIn after the event to track who I've spoken to and it makes follow up a lot easier! It's simply asking the question - "Can we connect on LinkedIn?"

The exchange of information is extremely important. We call this information exchange, communication. Communicating with others at networking events is the reason you attend. Paper business cards are, in my opinion, a thing of the past. Generate a QR code or have a digital business card that links the person to your LinkedIn profile. This is your time to ask questions and learn more about the company. You may find that the company is not a fit for you or you may find that it may be a perfect fit. Keep track of the details of your discussion. Most people will respect that you want to take notes, whether on your phone or on paper. Confirm that what you are writing down is correct by repeating it to the person for verification.

There is a lot of potential here if you get it right. Personalise your follow-up with specific details from your conversations. This personal touch shows genuine interest and lays the foundation for a lasting professional relationship. To do this, however, you need to take some notes after each meeting.

In my opinion the follow up process is the most overlooked, but also the most beneficial. It gives opportunity to build a relationship, learn more about each others wants and needs when reaching an agreement and shows that someone isn’t just a number or fact. That they are indeed a part of the benefits of connection to begin with.

Remember the power of non-verbal communication at networking events. Your body language, eye contact and even your approachability play a crucial role in how effectively you can network.

Always keep on open mind when you attend networking events rather than focusing on the numbers. For example, if you are too focused on the goal of getting contact details of as many people as you can, you might end up coming across as too aggressive or too fake. Whereas if you just focus on connecting with people and having engaging conversations with others, you might walk away from the event gaining more than you've expected! 5 good connections is better than a 100 useless numbers.