Simple, easy tips on how to make your time pay at a conference – make networking work!
Networking is the number one reason delegates attend a conference! It is a perfect opportunity to meet the movers and shakers in your industry. While networking online has become very important and popular in the last few years, nothing can beat meeting people face to face. It is an opportunity to start, build and strengthen business relationships. Conference hotels and the conference venue can very much enhance the networking experience, depending on how they are set up.
Here are some tips on how to make networking at a conference profitable!
1. Research the conference speakers before hand and connect with them. They will be happy to know their talk is eagerly anticpated. Email them – ask them can you say hello before hand. Connect with them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook – whatever is their preferred medium. Tweet about them and the event. They may also mention/refer to you in their talk.
2. Introduce yourself to the speakers at the beginning of the conference and sit up the front.
3. Ask the organisers for a list of attendees and link with them, you can identify who you really want to speak with and connect with them before the event. Make a few appointments.
4. Always ask a great question at the conference – introduce yourself and your business and ask an intelligent, relevant question. Everyone will know you after that and it is easier for people to approach you.
5. Watch who the conference speakers are talking to and ensure you get to meet them.
6. Listen – it is the most important element of networking. Be interested! They will open up to you more if you seem interested in them.
7. Have open ended questions prepared to ask that can also lead around to your business – “what projects are you working on at the moment?” “ Who is a great connection for you and why?” And my favourite is “how can I help you?”
8. Be ready to get to the point quickly about your business – have the answers to the above questions prepared yourself.
9. SMILE! Make eye contact; Be approachable, wear a name tag very prominently – on the right shoulder, always talk to someone who looks more shy than you and not talking to anyone else. Act like a host rather than a guest.
10. Follow up!! Do what you say you would do, send a relevant article to anyone you spoke to about a certain topic. Those you said you would contact to have a futher meeting with – call them within 72 hours.
For more tips on how to ensure your conference is set up to be conducive to networking – feel free to get in touch.
