Networking meetings can be a lifeline for many businesses, especially if a business is still quite new and struggling to get off the ground.
The ultimate goal of a business networking meeting is to generate business for your company. It is important not to be a wallflower and to get about the room and make new acquaintances.
1) If possible, try to attend your first networking meeting with someone you know. Preferably someone who has attended networking meetings in the past. They will be able to make you feel more comfortable, suggest ways to conduct yourself and how to approach new people.
2) If you cannot attend the meeting with somebody else, ask the person who greets you at the door to introduce you to somebody. This will help you get straight into the flow and will stop you feeling uncomfortable about making that first approach.
3 ) Hand out your business card to anyone you meet, even if you may not consider doing business with that person directly; you never know in whose hand your business card ends up.
4) If you attend a meeting which is also attended by people you have already met or work with; try not to spend too much time talking to them as this will be counter productive.
5) Focus your attention completely on the person you are speaking to. Make eye contact as much as possible and do not get distracted by other conversations that are going on around you.
6) Don’t feel awkward when a conversation is naturally concluded, be polite and thank the person you have been speaking to for their time and move onto another networker.
7) Don’t feel as though you should not join existing conversations, especially if there are two or more people conversing with whom you would like to meet.
8) Prior to the event, contact the organiser(s) to see if you can obtain a list of attendees. Do some research into each person named and decide if you should meet with them.
9) Everyone at a networking meeting is approachable. Do not be phased by rank or position. If somebody of rank did not want to meet new people they would not attend this type of event.
AFTER THE EVENT
1) Send an email or call each person you met at the event saying it was good to meet them. This type of contact should be more of a nudge than a sales pitch. That can come later.
2) While the details are still fresh in your memory, make some notes about your conversation with each person on the back of their business card. The cards can then be stored away and used to refresh your memory before your next meeting.
3) If the people you have met at the event have accounts with the major social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, connect in the appropriate way and begin occasional dialogue – forwarding articles, links or tweets they might be interested in. As your relationship develops you can decide upon the correct amount of contact you should be having.
Your first networking meeting can be quite daunting, but remember, everyone else who attends has been a first timer at some point so they know what you are going through. The important thing is to be yourself and to talk to people.
