Have you ever left a networking event feeling like you’ve
been assaulted? It’s an awful feeling to be smothered in schmooze, or dealt
flying business cards ala drive-by style, or product dumped-on. All of this by people you don’t even
know! It’s our civic and professional
responsibility to stop the madness before it goes any farther!
Let’s get back to basics, shall we? What’s the point of networking anyway? Networking is about making meaningful
connections with like-minded people. It
should not be viewed as isolated events, but rather a process of building
relationships.
If you get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about attending
networking events, you need to connect with yourself first. People typically behave in unusual ways when
they’re uncomfortable or afraid of their environment…a.k.a. “assaulters”. It definitely takes a respectable level of
courage to walk into a room full of people you’ve never seen before and get
involved. I believe things go wrong when
we go in with a preconceived notion of how we’re supposed to act instead of
being who we are. We’ve all heard it at
one time or another…”just be yourself – everything will be fine.” So – BE YOURSELF. Understand how you best communicate and how
you get your bearings in unfamiliar territory.
If you like to observe a situation before you jump in, then do that. If you are more comfortable being introduced
around a room, make arrangements in advance to have that happen. Look for someone you’ve met before and break
the ice with that person. Your comfort
level will rise as you acclimate to the situation.
Next, make sure you’re clear about your expectations. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself or set
unrealistic expectations for the outcome.
You’re setting yourself up for disaster and disappointment if you think
you’re going to walk away from a networking event with new clients. Networking is simply the venue, the forum,
the opportunity to meet people and begin to build a relationship with
them. It’s up to us to decide which
forums suit us and our situations the best, and to discern which relationships
we are most interested in building. This
takes time, focus, a sincere interest in and curiosity about others, and a true
appreciation for what it takes to earn another’s trust.
Take some time to set your strategy for networking and
devote time consistently to deepening relationships with people you’re
connecting with. You are creating an
environment to foster referral business, which grows in value over time!
