What to do at a networking event where you don’t know anyone?

Salespeople attend networking events all the time. Whether it be trade shows, technology symposiums, association luncheons, or a partner’s open house, we invest our time to meet other people and contribute back to our industries and communities. Most of these events include many people that we know, which makes it easy to meet new people through natural introductions and conversations. However, what would you do if you attended an event where you didn’t know anyone?

At Vector Firm, we’re obsessive about planning. When attending a networking event, we drive the message of scheduling time with people instead of leaving it to chance, but how can you do this if you don’t know anyone? Below are five ideas to optimize your experience at networking events where you don’t know anyone.

1. Ask for a list of attendees ahead of time. When you see the attendee list ahead of time, your head will start floating in ideas about how to meet some of the people. Many event planners will be happy to share the list just before the event – especially if you commit to not using it for anything else than preparation.
2. Let the event planner know your objectives. Event planners appreciate anyone who attends their event, and their appreciation is typically twice as strong a day or two ahead of time versus after it’s ended. When asking for the attendee list (step 1), let the planner know why you are attending and ask if they have any suggestions of people to meet while there. Not only will they provide names for you, but many will also make introductions.
3. Create a list of literal and figurative people to meet. Write down three to five people that you’d like to meet while there – everyone from Michelle Jones to “Someone in the IT department at Springdale Healthcare”. If you write down these targets, a sixth sense will somehow guide you to meeting at least one of them. Without a list, you’re just wandering.
4. Prepare three icebreakers. Depending on the people you meet, you’ll want a selection of icebreakers from which you can choose to start conversations. Without these in your back pocket, you might hesitate to approach strangers and you’ll be less sharp when opening a dialogue. You’ll want multiple icebreakers to be flexible with the different types of people you meet.
5. Master your lobby speech. What’s a lobby speech? It’s an extension of an elevator pitch. Imagine giving your elevator pitch, and then walking out of the elevator into the lobby and they ask “I understand what you do. We use your competitor, XYZ Integration. What makes you unique?” Your answer is your lobby speech. You must be able to answer this question quickly and succinctly without error.

That’s it! Commit to doing these five easy steps and your outcomes from networking events where you don’t know anyone – and from the events where you do know people – will be much more positive.