Making Networking Conversations Productive

It’s never easy to know what to say when it comes to networking. Unfortunately, most advice on good networking lines looks at best forced and makes people feel uncomfortable, or at worst sounds like the recipe for a bad first date.

The problem is, most people giving out this advice don’t need it! They’re comfortable to talk to people they don’t know – it’s not a challenge to them.

Many of us Unnatural Networkers feel nervous about meeting new people, so we need to look at it from a different perspective. Once you manage to get into a conversation, there’s the pressure to keep it going, and to make it productive. Then, there’s that age-old fear – how do I get out of a conversation? Lastly, what happens afterwards? How do you keep the conversation and relationship going?

In this third article in a series of 5 on networking lines, we're focusing on Making Conversations Productive. It's all well and good having a nice conversation - but it needs to lead somewhere and have some tangible result. I'm not saying that if it doesn't it's a complete waste of time, as you'll have built the relationship - but the more productive networking conversations are, the better - and the relationship will likely develop further.

Making Conversations Productive: Line 1

'How can I help you?'

A great question to keep a conversation going in the direction you want, and it will also help build your relationship with the other person.

In fact, you’ll find some people are almost alarmed when you ask this question. At networking events, we get so used to being bombarded with sales approaches, or ‘me, me, me’ types that when you ask how you can help someone, you sometimes get a double take in response.

Remember, you do need to act on it if you tell them you can help them...

Making Conversations Productive: Line 2

'Who's a good referral for you?'

Now we’re really getting interesting. This is a proper networking question that will truly build a relationship – especially if you then can connect with them someone that will help them.

Even if you can’t help with whoever is their referral request, making the effort to try is massive.

And, again, like the previous question, you’ll sometimes get a surprised reaction because people are so pre-conditioned to expect a take-take-take attitude when they meet strangers.

Making Conversations Productive: Line 3

'What do we need to do next?'

Networking is a complete waste of time without follow up, or next steps. There’s no point monopolising someone’s time (or even risking turning the new relationship sour) at an event once you’ve got the conversation to the point where you’re both happy.

So agree whatever comes next (send them an email, arrange to have a coffee etc), and move on.

Talking of moving on, in the next article in this series, we'll look at how to get out of conversations.