So the past couple of months I have been attending a networking event almost every night. I was a meetup addict for a while, even while in NYC, but really went for it when I moved down to Phoenix. The past month I started to slow down a bit, because I finally felt that I had finally met enough people that I can easily chat with outside of these meetings as well as see “similar faces”. Now, do I plan to keep going to these types of events, YES, but I do not think I will be doing them daily, just weekly.
So since I have a little experience with these events, I wanted to share some knowledge with my readers. I will admit I am shy (keep to myself person) when first meeting someone. Meeting new people is hard, you might think they are judging you or that you are wasting their time (or yours). Getting out of your comfort zone gets you to a new height in the game of life.
My first suggestion in bettering YOUR best at any network event, is before attending think about what you are looking to get out of it. I attended about 10 networking events before someone asked me this question and it started to stick with me. For some, meeting new people finding friends is a great goal. For others, it could be making new business contacts/referrals as well as “practice pitching” something to someone. I know that once I focused on a goal of trying to accomplish something at these events, I tended to reach these goals quicker while at the event then if I had spent more time there.
Meet NEW people, I can not stress this enough, I was noticing this with myself after 2 months at various events. I would meet a couple of people at an event and tend to stick with them throughout the event. Why? Because it’s easy and your NOT challenging yourself by putting yourself on the line and saying “Hello, My name is (insert here) and I am a (insert occupation/hobby or as Tim refers to it, Drug Dealer). When I found myself doing this, I would try and find someone I haven’t meet (or seen before) and walk up to them and say Hi. While attending the Joe Polish Conference, he asked everyone, “Would you be offended if someone came up to you and introduced yourself?”. Everyone’s response basically the same way, “No”. Think about that for a second, everyone is thinking the same thing and I admit, its hard to put yourself out there, but think about this and understand that the person you just introduced yourself to is thinking the same thing as you, so relax and ask about their business, have they been to many networking events, their hobbies, who knows you might have something in common.
Following Up
Another great thing that I learned from all these networking events is FOLLOW up with people. The next day or that night when you get home, pull out all the business cards of everyone you meet, send them an email. Maybe even pitch something you are passionate about (or doing) to them and get some feedback. I know a couple of people use this system for their own “email newsletter” which can get them not only clients/business but also referrals. The business world is amazing, you might say something small to someone and get an email from that persons friend the next day about it. Following up and showing that connection can be important and help establish long (trustworthy?) relationships with people.
Take them out for coffee/lunch or drinks
After following up with various network contacts, take them out or offer to meet with them for drinks or coffee. Attending various BNI events, I noticed that they emphasize “dance cards”. What is a Dance Card you ask, it’s a time when 2 BNI members meet with one another outside their normal meeting and get to know each other better.
I once was told at a “find a job” college event that. “if you want to know something or meet someone, offer to take them out and hang out at the same places they do.” Getting to know someone and seeing them “outside” their normal day in day out allows you to connect with a person. For myself I love to go out and have a pint or two, I would always enjoy the meetup’s in NYC because they were either held at bars, and/or ended at a bar. This was a great way to “really get to know someone” and easily follow up with them by taking them for drinks after the event and follow up email. For people who might be looking to improve their career with a jump or a move, offer someone who you admire their job or is in the same business. I find that a lot of entrepreneurs love helping others succeed in what they are doing.
Meeting someone one on one, be sure to have a couple of questions you want to ask them and keep the goal in mind, What are you trying to get out of this. I know for myself a lot of the time it’s inspiration and/or new ideas. Talking to various people and bouncing ideas off each other can stir and brew a great concept that can be turned into a great product, with the right amount of work. Getting motivated to keep going can also be hard, talking to others how they do it or what projects they are working on can also help get you motivated and help YOU work harder at it. Many of the people I also talk to challenge me and encourage me to better my best and step up to the plate and take a swing. The idea of ready, fire, aim hits my mind. You should focus on doing something reachable, try it, and then see how well it worked and refine it. The idea of ready, aim, fire, you spend too much time “aiming” and trying to “perfect it” rather then giving it a shot and retuning it if it fails. I know this has been a big hurtle for me, but surrounding yourself with mentors and great people can help you get the push you need to succeed.
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Good post, thoughtful observations. I’m wondering though … maybe you should be blogging more about these meetups? Maybe just simple things like a twitter or other micro blog post (person, tinyurl, new idea), or a delicious tag on the person (place, thing) …
Justin Henry is always kicking my butt because I tend to do stuff like this mainly in facebook (though some in twitter) which he describes as sort of “anti-social” social networking. I agree with his point, but I tend to be lazy, and there’s no good way (yet) of moving contacts between spcific instances of one’s social network. (Le affaire Scobelized shows how not to do this.)
Joi Ito does something a tiny bit like this with his faceroll and flickr accounts – “people i’ve met recently” – and though it is more open than facebook, it is still somewhat ad hoc.