5 Practical Networking Tips

Entering a large room full of professionals can be intimidating but networking is a valuable exercise that can strengthen and establish new relationships as well as unlock new opportunities for influence and advancement. However, networking skills are like a sword that you must keep sharpened in order to use effectively.

The following are five practical tips for approaching your networking more strategically and taking your networking skills to the next level.

Tip #1: Visualize Your Ideal Outcome

Determine what you'd like to get out of the networking experience and who you'd like to meet. Are you looking for a new job, client or simply expanding your network? It's not selfish to have an objective, in fact it helps others know how to best support you.

If there is someone specific you're trying to meet, approach them straight away rather than wait for the moment to presents itself. They may end up leaving before you get the chance to speak with them. Once you've met your objective, you can be more relaxed, make room for serendipity and meet others that might be there to meet you.

Tip #2: How to start a conversation

I was recently at an event where more than one person approached me by saying "hello, I'd like to tell you about myself." This isn't wrong but it doesn't invite a conversation. It's equivalent to saying "I need you to be quiet while I talk about me."

Instead, start by saying "hello, my name is ______" and follow with an open ended question to get them talking right away. If you are at a conference, try asking your fellow delegate "what most stood out for you from the conference today?"

If you're approaching a speaker or presenter, ask them about their talk, preferably in a way that demonstrates you captured their key message. If their main message wasn't clear to you, ask them about it. It also helps if you ask a question during the Q&A portion of their presentation and then follow up afterward to thank them and pick up from their response to your question.

Try opening with a compliment and question e.g., "I like your pin, what is it exactly? Does it relate to your work?" 

People tend to congregate around food and beverages. While at a food table or bar try asking about people's preferences e.g., "There are so many good options here, what's caught your eye so far?"

Tip #3: Describe what you do in 20 words or less

You know it's going to come up. The most frequently asked question in social settings: "What do you do?" You might as well practice your response so that it rolls off the tongue naturally, confidently and succinctly.

Your description should indicate how you are solving a problem and invite questions rather than explain everything you do. Aim to uncover where there may be connection points between your interests and theirs and steer the conversation towards adding value to a problem they are concerned about.

Like many of us, I wear a lot of hats so I have more than one description that I use to describe myself. I try my best to read my audience and the situation to determine which description is most relevant. Sometimes I say: "I lead a social enterprise that helps large special events manage their environmental footprint" or if I think there might be some consulting work available I'll say: "I provide communications consulting to public and private sector clients that promote business as a force for good in the world." It doesn't mean I can't talk about my consulting when I talk about my company or vice versa. During the conversation, I use examples from both which highlight the breadth of my experience but I first invite them in rather than try to inundate them with a lot of information from the start.

Tip #4: Ask for what you need and model the behaviour you want by offering help

Be clear about your needs e.g., "I'm looking to meet customers/employers in the _______ sector" but don't forget to ask "how can I be helpful to you?" Offer to introduce them to people in your network and they will be inspired to do the same.

Always follow up and do what you say you will do. LinkedIn is a great tool to stay in touch and identify people in that person's network that may be valuable connections. Don't just expect that they will help you. Ask for their help.

Tip #5: Ending the conversation gracefully

Sometimes a conversation is so interesting that it's the only one we have all night and we miss the opportunity to meet others. Sometimes, the conversation is too one sided, overly political or just not that interesting and we need to find a polite way out. Try these possible conclusions: "There is obviously so much to say about this topic. Let's continue the conversation over a coffee sometime" or "It sounds like you are at an interesting stage and as you progress, if there's some way I can be helpful, please don't hesitate to get in touch." Then conclude by exchanging business cards.

What if the person doesn't take the cue and is eager to continue a conversation you want to end? Try saying "I need time to consider that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter" or suggest moving the conversation over by the food and beverage area or introducing new people into the conversation. Any physical change to where you're standing or who's standing with you will alter the dynamics of the conversation. From there it is much easier to conclude the original conversation with a thank you and roll naturally into a new one with someone else.

Give these five tips a try at your next networking opportunity and let me know how it worked out for you. Happy networking!