During the three days of Web Summit in Dublin I had the opportunity to follow a workshop regarding “Business Networking Hacks at a conference” .
The workshop was organized by GAssembly and the speaker was Marian Gazdik, founder of Startup Grind, the global startup community designed to educate, inspire and connect entrepreneurs (powered by Google for Entrepreneurs).
Networking Basics :
– Be polite – say “Hi” to organizers and hosts
– Be pro-active – say “Hi”, meet new people or at least smile
– Introduce yourself and other to each other
– Remember names – stop and create an association
– Don’t pitch too early
Second step, to prepare well :
– Research the conference, its speakers and attendees
– Make a list of people you want to meet, create notes with bio and photo
– Prepare a few conversation topics esp. not business related
– Write down a few interesting questions you can ask them
– Define ideal outcomes of your key interactions
One of the most important steps to follow during the Business Networking is to set clear objectives
– Set your objectives – whom to meet (5-20 key people / day)
– Remind yourself of your objectives right before you enter
– Achieve your objectives first and then have fun
– If you still have time left, look around for interesting people
The next step of the Good Business Networker is to meet people :
– Get introduced – ideally by a trusted connection
– Introduce yourself (before they speak) – be curious but patient
– Make a lasting positive impression – (compliment, be helpful etc)
– Build a bridge
Really important is the phase regarding the follow-up :
– Follow-up as agreed – recreate the moment to reconnect
– ALWAYS give value first – expect noting in return
– When no response – reconnect (using boomerang plugin)
– Still no response – lower the frequency
– Find the way to keep on the person’s radar
There also some advanced tips regarding the Business Networking :
– Keep an eye for influencers and leaders
– Pay attention to your body language – hand shake, eye contact, body posture, friendly touch , smile
– Be relaxed yet focused
– Listen more that you talk
– Give genuine compliments
And the final suggestions regarding how to build lasting relationship:
– Give value regularly
– Be the one who knows
– Connect on several levels – hobbies, children, common friends
– Use informal opportunities – grab coffee, lunch
– Share invites to interesting events
– Value your word and always deliver what you promise
Guest blogger Andrea Romoli – @androm
Photo credits to Sportsfile – Web Summit
