Networking tips - what not to be remembered for!

Networking, we could do it morning, noon and night. There are groups galore meeting across the country all day every day Monday to Friday. For small businesses and those responsible for business development in larger companies, it’s a vital part of any working week. I often write about networking as it’s one of my specialist areas. The workshops I run in this area are full of networking tips and are always enjoyable and stimulate so much discussion. One of the areas I cover is the importance of being memorable in a positive and appropriate way. This article tackles some networking tips for what not to be remembered for!

Really?

At first read of the below ‘don’ts’, your reaction may be “Really..? But of course not.” However, I promise you that all of us will experience at least some of these at every event we attend. It’s amazing what people consciously think won’t get noticed and do it anyway. Other behaviours are far less conscious and will be communicated through body language so awareness is key.

Networking tips – the ‘avoids’

Bringing your day’s negativity into the room – we all have lives with good and bad things happening every day. Whilst being real and starting a conversation at networking about non work related topics is an important way to build rapport, deluging the first person you meet with the negative aspects of your day so far is not the way to build that all important likeability. They will want to run a mile. So think carefully about what you share and in what detail!

Piling up food – tough to do, especially for those of us that love food and perhaps haven’t eaten for hours. The lure of ‘free’ food! I do recommend that it’s good to get a drink first when you enter the room – it gives you time to centre yourself, leave your day so far behind and survey the room to decide who to approach confidently. However, I would try to avoid picking up some food until later on. It gives you a reason to move on from your first person and helps you avoid the hold drink, hold food, greet people dance the minute you arrive. Also, think about how much you take and how many times you return to the buffet table if there is one. You don’t want to be remembered for your greed!

Being chaotic – even if you are late and hassled, similar to being negative, you are not going to build rapport with others if you hurry in looking disorganised and stressed. If you are late, better to be extra minute or two late and take time to calm down rather than rush in and have negative encounters.

Weaving your way into a ‘closed’ group – the awkwardness will last a good few minutes and the effect may not be reversed if you force yourself into an obviously ‘closed’ group i.e. a group that is quite happy with its existing members who are deep in conversation with one another. Study body language carefully so you join a group where your presence is welcomed.

Forgetting your business cards – what is the point of going to an event with either too few business cards or worse still, none? It means you are then the only one that can start the connection with others after the event. It communicates to others that you are putting yourself in a position of power, choosing who you wish to connect with later on - not good when you are trying to build relationships. It means you severely reduce potential opportunities.

Looking for your next conversation – even if the person you are speaking to is dull, boring and oblivious to the fact that the conversation is at an end, looking over their shoulder for where to go next is extremely rude. Whilst the person you are talking to may not notice, others will. Better to be armed with confident ways to move on!

Talking more than listening – always remember you have 2 ears and one mouth! Listening is so beneficial, it builds rapport with the person you have just met as it shows interest and importantly gives you the opportunity to learn more about someone, their points of pain and how you might help them. Over talking happens to some when they are nervous. If this is you, have some great questions prepared that you can ask those you meet.

Making an escape – sometimes at events, conversations get interrupted and you end up talking to someone else without really concluding the previous conversation. If this happens naturally then that’s fine but always make sure it doesn't look like you ran away as quickly as there was the opportunity. Where possible, leave a conversation confidently, communicate that you enjoyed the conversation and if you've talked about a next step mention that.
Which leads on to the final point…

Not doing what you promised – if you've offered to connect someone to one of your contacts, send someone information or arrange a coffee, do it! There’s nothing worse than not doing what you promised. Think of the embarrassment if you see that person again at another event. Read more on this

So, what to be remembered for

I've very much focused on the negatives in this article. There are plenty of ways to be positively memorable and build the all important Know, Like & Trust - all essential for building rapport, relationships and ultimately winning business. Read my complete guide to networking at events.

Networking is one of the Nine Neglected Skills needed for career success, if you would like advice and tips on all nine, including a free downloadable Booklet, complete the form below: