Make more meaningful connections by following these steps to all-star networking.
Create your personal value proposition. What skills, unique talents, strengths, experience and connections do you offer? If you are attending an event with the intent to connect with someone in particular, map out what you need to discuss and how you could potentially help them. Knowing your value proposition and having a plan means you won’t choke when you meet the person who could be very valuable to you.
Open up. While your goal may be to land a new job or procure a contact at a target account, take a few steps towards establishing a relationship. Being open and honest is critical to fostering respect, and a sure fire way to make meaningful connections is to, ‘Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves,’ which is Dale Carnegie’s 7th Human Relations principle. Asking new contacts questions about where they work; what they are most passionate about; and even their vantage on industry-specific topics such as trends, risks, opportunities, etc. demonstrates that you value them.
Never pass on a person. When attending a networking event, check your ego at the door. Don’t dismiss a person simply because of their title, e.g. ‘coordinator’ or ‘clerk,’ because you never know how they may be able to help you in the future. By becoming ‘genuinely interested in other people,’ Mr. Carnegie’s 4th principle, you will be able to uncover if this person has valuable connections or information that could benefit you.
New to you. Human beings are creatures of habit. Many people attend the same conferences year after year. Why not choose an entirely new, yet relevant, event or conference? Stepping outside of your comfort zone and attending an event you normally wouldn’t will enable you to make new connections, and be inspired in ways you never imagined.
Establish networking goals. If you are attending a networking event, set a goal of connecting with a certain number of people, and having meaningful discussions with them. Once you attain your goal, increase it slightly with each subsequent event. If you missed it, contemplate what you can do differently. Could you have asked better questions, or researched the industry or conference attendees beforehand? Use your lessons learned to optimize your time spent at the next event.
Count your social media networks. If you plot your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn connections, odds are that they align to schools you’ve attended and your previous employers. Breakthrough to new contacts and information by following experts in subject areas you want to learn more about. You’ll find new people with whom to connect and learn new topics instead of being constrained by these networks’ algorithmically-based content suggestions. Always connect with your new contacts via LinkedIn.
Try again. Successful networking is a skill. If something does not work well, try again a different way. If you want to feel more confident meeting new people or speaking in public, consider enrolling in the world famous Dale Carnegie Course.