I’m heading to New York to speak to 1,250 attendees at a conference and as I was sharing some preparation tips for attendees I realized it might be helpful to share them here:
I rarely meet an executive who says they love to network so here are four ways to make it more enjoyable:
NETworking is annoying because it is too general.
It’s hard to believe, but it really is possible, you can love networking once you stop the NET of networking.
Networking is hated by many because the NET in Networking assumes a large number - that you are casting a wide net - when you need to do the opposite, take a precision approach to who you want to meet and find out who can connect you. Wouldn’t you prefer three quality conversations rather than 20 superficial ones?
Preparation is crucial
When I’m at an event with other executives I know, I ask them ahead of time who they want to meet and I facilitate the introductions. You can ask the event organizer, or someone else you know in attendance to introduce you to the right people.
Become a super node
At an event in Silicon Valley last month I overheard someone call me a “Super Node” to another executive. Board member Amit Shah explained that I’m always at the centre of connecting others and that I open up my connections to others to provide mutual benefit. I appreciated how he explained this. It’s easy for you to do this too if you think about who you know and where there maybe useful introductions. —word of warning I only introduce executives with a double-yes. Which means that both people want to meet each other before an introduction is made.
Great to meet you!
A simple text, DM, email to whoever you met saying it was great to meet and following up on any topics you discussed is a great way to stay connected. - I like to personalize a note on LinkedIn DMs because it stays there as a record for where and when you met someone. This really helps my ADHD brain which doesn't remember names and faces without a prompt.
Cheers to making new useful connections at your next event!
Dedicated to growing your business,
Val
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