Tactics for Making Meaningful Connections at Events

Before diving into a networking event, it’s essential to clarify your intentions. Are you seeking to expand your business, explore job opportunities, or simply grow your professional network? Identifying your goal will guide your approach and enhance your overall experience. Here are some effective tips for initiating conversations and building connections at your next event:

Networking Scenario

Imagine you're at a bustling networking event, and there's someone you admire whom you'd like to connect with for potential job opportunities. Approaching them might seem daunting, especially when faced with the challenge of breaking the ice.

What to Do:

1. Wait for Your Moment: If the person you wish to speak with is surrounded by a crowd, patiently wait for your turn. They'll notice your presence when the time comes.

2. Initiate with Confidence: When it's your turn, flash a warm smile, extend your hand, and introduce yourself. Keep it simple yet impactful. For instance, "Hi, I'm Julie. I've been eager to introduce myself and learn more about your work."

3. Engage with Relevance: After the initial introduction, share a bit about yourself and express your interest in their expertise or industry. For example, "I'm currently working in [field], and I found your insights particularly intriguing because..."

Questions to Ask While Networking:

1. Company Information: Politely ask if you could send them some questions regarding their company or role to gain further insights.

2. Propose a Coffee Meeting: Express your admiration for their career journey and inquire if they'd be open to meeting for coffee to discuss it further.

3. Suggest an Informational Visit: One impactful approach is to ask if you could visit their office for an informal chat. This provides an excellent opportunity to witness their work environment firsthand and foster a more genuine connection.

Personal Experience:

For instance, during my MBA program, I attended an event hosted by the American Marketing Association focused on job search strategies. Inspired by the panelists' advice, I reached out to a professional I admired for an informational visit.

The visit proved invaluable as it offered a glimpse into the company culture and facilitated a candid exchange of insights. Although immediate job opportunities weren't available, the connection led to further introductions and expanded my network.

Keep the Momentum Going:

Networking is a continuous process, and not every encounter will result in immediate outcomes. However, by maintaining a proactive approach and leveraging each connection, you increase your chances of uncovering new opportunities.

In conclusion, approaching networking events with clarity, confidence, and authenticity can pave the way for meaningful connections and professional growth. Remember, every interaction is an opportunity to learn, grow, and expand your horizons. So, seize the moment, engage with purpose, and watch your network flourish.

How to Use Your Connections to Network

Have you ever been afraid to actually ask your network for help? It’s really easy to be friendly and have fun and meet new people. But what happens when you are trying to grow your business or search for a new job? It can be scary or intimidating to reach out. It is easy to attend events and be social but now you need a little help. If you’ve mastered growing your network of friends and professional connections, here are some ideas to unapologetically reach out.

Think about a time that someone may have reached out to you for advice. How did they approach you? Did you feel excited to help or annoyed that someone would even ask? I’m pretty sure most of us are happy to give some time to help others! That is if the ask isn’t too big. This is why when are you looking to ask for help, keep it simple. Make it easy for them to respond and give you advice in a way that works for them. Reach out via email or LinkedIn with a professional and short note asking to connect to learn more about their career path. (People can always talk about themselves!)

Here are some simple and easy ways to connect:

• Meet for coffee before work

• Meet for lunch

• Meet at their office during a time that works for their schedule

• A 20-30 minute phone call (keep it to 15 minutes if they are a very busy professional)

• Host a video conference for 20-30 minutes

• Meet for happy hour (keep it professional though!)

• Join them at an event that they are already attending (conferences, networking events, speaker series)

I’ve used many of these tactics while I was job searching. It is best to ask the person what works for their schedule. I really like the last bullet. While in graduate school, I met a marketing professional at an American Marketing Association (AMA) event. I reached out via LinkedIn to further the connection and ask to meet again to talk more about her career. She mentioned that she was going to attend a speaker panel and I could join her as her guest. This was a fantastic opportunity because I could meet her to talk more professionally and it wasn’t an inconvenience to her, she already had plans to attend the event. Additionally, since this was a professional speaker series, I took the opportunity to connect with other marketing professionals in the room. Guess what? From there, I asked another professional to meet up to tell me more about her role! I met this woman at a lunch spot inside the building where she worked. She needed to eat lunch and I didn’t make her go far from the office. It’s about making the ask simple and easy for someone to help you!

Keep using each opportunity to meet the next person. Even if that person can’t directly help you, usually they are willing to bring you to an event for better networking or pass your information along to another colleague that would be more help. Don’t shut someone out just because they can’t directly help you, it’s all about expanding your networking and casting a wide net.

How to Alleviate Networking Nerves at Your Next Event

Networking time! This is an important skill to keep fresh (not just when you need a new job). Networking grows your number of connections. By growing your base, you’ll have more unexpected opportunities that come your way! An added bonus is that I’ve made a bunch of new friends!

One way I love to network is through a local Young Professionals group. They have many events a month ranging from happy hours, and professional development, to hosting speakers. I’ve met many people by attending different types of events. While it is easy to show up to an event and make small talk, you need to deepen these connections. To grow these relationships and ultimately friendships, I joined a committee. Since I have a focus on marketing, I joined the social media committee. Through joining the committee, I’ve been able to hone skills in marketing through their social media platform and analytics while gaining the benefit of deepening relationships with a handful of people. We meet monthly and over time I’ve built a strong group of marketers if I were to ever need to call on my network. It’s smart to keep connections in your field if ever the time should come to request some help, feedback, or advice. They have even become a support group where we can talk about the different challenges that we face at work.

The main benefit of becoming more active with a professional group is to KNOW more people at your event! This can alleviate any nerves when I show up to a big event by myself. I hate those jitters that I get when I first enter a room and I’m not sure what to expect. Now, I usually can spot someone from my committee to start that first conversation. I know that I am relieved to see a welcoming face when we enter a crowded room. From here, it is much easier to start conversations with new people. Whether they introduce you to someone they are speaking with or you can join a new conversation nearby. We all get nervous in big groups where the goal is to meet new people. Try some of these tactics to feel more comfortable at your next event.