Recently I wrote about what attending Tiwa King’s first in person event since the "panoramic" taught me about how to do purpose-driven PR
You can read that here if you missed it, sis
Here's the thing, though, when I first started going to networking events by myself, it used to make me so nervous and fill me with so much anxiety- mostly because I had no idea how to break the ice so that I could form connections with the other attendees.
Can you relate?
Well, although going to networking events on your own can be daunting, your network really is your net worth.
In other words, to have a profitable business you must learn how to build and leverage profitable business relationships.
Here are 5 tips to help you do this through live events:
#1 Have a strong “why” or purpose behind your life and business goals
One of my favourite personal development books is “The Wisdom of Andrew Carnegie” by Napoleon Hill. In it, Carnegie advised that two of the steps to major achievement are:
Definiteness of purpose (a goal)
Choosing a master mind team so that those in it can experience the benefits of synergy
This, in a nutshell, means that when two (or more) individuals unite and join forces in order to achieve a given purpose, they will be able to produce something that is exponentially greater than they ever could have done by themselves. What most people get wrong with their visibility efforts is attempting to harness the power of networking BEFORE they know what their ultimate purpose, “why” or impact that they wish to make in the world is. Doing this is like putting the cart before the horse, though! Instead, you need to establish your foundation. In other words, the first step to achieving high visibility, through PR or otherwise, is establishing your purpose and letting it be your guide so that you don’t end up:
Wasting time at the wrong kind of networking events for what you want to achieve in life and business
Building non-profitable relationships that you can’t leverage or harness (or worse, don’t know how to due to lack of clarity!)
Stuck, stagnant and frustrated rather than booked, busy and making bank!
Having a clear sense of purpose will also keep you going when the going gets tough.
#2 Have a purpose or goal attached to attending a particular event
Attending networking events is not enough in and of itself. One of the major mistakes that people make in their visibility efforts is thinking that it is- only to end up bored; then going back home with a bunch of business cards rather than meaningful connections. Considering all the effort that it takes to get dolled up and leave the house when you could be using that spare time to:
Chill
Catch up on work
Spend with your loved ones
You want to make sure that the events that you attend are worth it, right? One way to do this is to have an agenda. For example:
Are you hoping to simply be mentored, learn and leave with a new skill to help you achieve your goals?
Is there a specific person that you know is going to be there that you want to meet and eventually collaborate with?
Is there a relationship that you want to maintain and/or further develop?
Establishing this before you put yourself out there will act as a success criteria, making you more clear and intentional about:
What you want to achieve by attending a particular event
The action you must take to ensure that this happens
#3 Less is more
When I finally realised that networking was the key to increasing my net worth, I had all sorts of ideas about what that meant. Looking back I realise I had no idea what I was doing! My plan included:
Attending networking events at least every week, whether I was interested in them or not (boring and exhausting, especially if you’re an introvert (or ambivert, like me))
Collecting as many business cards as I could at said events (ugh, I hate superficial connections and I always felt super inauthentic and gross when I followed up)
Little by little, over the course of a year or more, hope to harness these “relationships” and make a profit
Thank God, I discovered that there is a better way! For example, I discovered that:
Attending events that you’re actually interested in automatically gives you common ground with the other attendees, making it easier to find and build relationships with your ideal clients and potential collaborators. You’ll also enjoy yourself whether you make new friends or not, making it a win-win situation
It’s better to set a goal of making meaningful connections with 1-2 people at a given event, rather than grabbing all the business cards you can because
This makes you more memorable and gives you a higher success rate when following up after the event, especially when it comes to PR
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#4 Be intentional about putting yourself out there
A lot of the tips so far have focussed on the theory of networking. So, here are 5 practical tips that you can try next time you’re networking solo:
1) If the event is an extension of an online community, make sure that you take part in group discussions to build familiarity and relationships with other attendees before meeting them in person
2) If it’s a conference or talk, don’t skip an opportunity to network beforehand by just showing up in time for the main event- especially if networking has actually been factored into the programme. Likewise, if networking is scheduled for after the event- stay and chat rather than grabbing your stuff and heading straight home!
3) Even if there isn’t a designated networking time, try to show up at least 10 minutes early so that you get a chance to greet and get to know the people sitting next to you
4) Be proactive! Don’t be afraid to break the ice by smiling, saying hello, sharing your name and asking for theirs. For, as the saying goes, “to have friends you must yourself be friendly”.
5) Other great ways to break the ice include: giving (genuine) compliments, asking questions (such as what brings them to the event, what they do) and ACTIVELY listening
Bonus tips: To automatically make yourself more visible and draw people to you:
Don’t shy away from opportunities for group/partner work or discussions
If the event host asks for a volunteer for a demonstration, put yourself forward
Ask (thoughtful) questions during Q&A opportunities
#5 Follow up
Have you heard the saying “the fortune is in the follow up,”? Well, it’s true! This is why, earlier, I mentioned the importance of focussing on:
Forming meaningful connections
Actively listening
Not only will this make you more familiar and welcome when following up, you’ll know how best to do it and make yourself an asset on a consistent basis. For example, I like to follow up with people a day or two after an event by:
Saying how lovely it was to meet them
How much I enjoyed our conversation about [insert topic]
Armed with some knowledge about their business as well as some of their personal likes/dislikes from our conversation at the event, I will then follow up intermittently by sharing articles, opportunities or people that may be of interest to them as and when I come across them. What this does is:
Help you to maintain this rapport rather having it fizzle out after initial contact
Build goodwill in the relationship so that-
You can ultimately leverage it to achieve your life and business goals in future