6 tips for successful networking in the big city
[bctt tweet=”The question now is, What are you doing to increase the size of your network?” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You have probably heard the saying that “your network is your net worth”. In this article’s context, net worth is not limited to finances alone but includes knowledge, skills, and access to opportunities as a result of your network’s size. The question now is, “What are you doing to increase the size of your network?” Networking simply means to form personal or working relationships with people in your industry as a means of knowledge acquisition or landing deals. We are officially in Quarter 3 of 2017 and if you have not already started, now is the time to build your network. Here are six tips for successful networking in a big city: Step outside your comfort zone Dreams are not fulfilled by staying in your comfort zone but by stepping out and engaging in new activities, attending events and meeting new people. For example, you can’t expect to be the best entertainment lawyer if you don’t network with people in the media and entertainment industry with a view to growing your clientele and offering the best services to them. Stepping outside your comfort zone paves a way for your career growth and development. [bctt tweet=”Stepping outside your comfort zone paves a way for your career growth and development.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Be the master of your craft In whatever industry you work in, you should aim to be the master of your craft. Strive to perfect your knowledge in a certain industry by keeping up on current affairs so that you will be able to engage in thought-provoking discourse with the people you choose to network with. Having a view on a current issue in your industry that’s different from most views usually sparks interest and will have people willing to know more about your philosophy on that issue. Working in the creative industry will force you to practice your craft regularly so that you may gain more knowledge and an appreciation for your skills that will not be influenced by anyone. If your networking goals include getting a mentor, then honing your creativity by a schedule of practice will be a catalyst to your progress; experienced people would rather mentor people that have a resilience for hard work. Is ‘hard work’ your middle name? Introduce yourself first There will be times that you will be in a room full of people unknown to you. Imagine you’re an introvert that made it this far to an industry conference, your instinct may be to grab a coffee and sit down at the nearest table. Networking in the big city involves taking a plunge, so rather than following your instinct, you should join a table full of people who are not yet deep in conversation and introduce yourself or walk over to someone standing alone and find common ground. Using an icebreaker to soften the atmosphere may get people smiling and will create a perfect opportunity to say, “Hi, my name is Rachel and I work for 1 Media Ltd. It’s nice to meet you, what’s your name?”. [bctt tweet=”Unresponsive body language while networking can be a deal breaker” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Communicate with body language There are many ways you can show courtesy and attentiveness from your body language. Unresponsive body language while networking with other industry professionals can be a deal breaker. This may give off a vibe of having a short concentration span or succumbing to distractions from passers-by, implying that you may have the same attitude towards a particular job. Shaking hands, smiling, and maintaining eye contact with someone you have just met shows your confidence and eagerness to partake in a serious discussion. This sort of body language will be reciprocated when delivered properly and not aggressively. Try not to scare your business targets away by being overly expressive or not expressive enough! Never forget your business card Networking with your business card is a recipe for success. At corporate or private events, many people may be able to introduce themselves and speak for a couple minutes but not engage in a full conversation. Sell your personality and your business but solidify this with a card that clearly states the name of your business, nature of the business, your role in that business and your current contact information. Talking about a business or representing a company with nothing to signify your affiliation may not be convincing to other people and may prompt people to perform extra due diligence to ascertain your true identity. Follow up After all the hard work involved in attending seminars or making connections at a meeting you followed your boss to, don’t take a step back by not following up on the conversations you’ve had with colleagues and seniors in your industry. Follow up on your networking attempts by sending a short email, setting up a meeting or a friendly phone call (with a purpose) to inquire an opinion. Networking can either be impulsive or very strategic but whatever the case, ensure that you are using your network to achieve your net worth!
Yasmin Says: How to make your network your net worth
We’ve all heard the phrase “Your network is your net worth.” And though, it may seem like one of those cheesy phrases that’s only appropriate for fridge door magnets and tacky self-help books, its 100% true. For young entrepreneurs like us, networking is especially important for a couple of reasons: As you grow your network, you’ll hear more and more about interesting and unique opportunities It’s a good opportunity for you to practice your communication skills There are a number of different ways to network but today, we’re going to focus on how to #WIN at a formal networking event. Formal networking events are tough for us because both Afua and I are true introverts. So, even the thought of having to spend an evening talking to people we don’t know exhausts us. That said, sometimes, it’s got to be done. So, it’s best to be prepared. Come with a game plan You’ll never have a chance to speak to everyone, and if you’re able to preview the guest list before hand, come with a clear list of the people you’d like to speak to. If Afua and I are going to a conference, we’ll do more than come up with a target list. We’ll also prioritize the list so we have people who we MUST connect with vs. people who’d be nice to chat to. Once we have that list, we create a spreadsheet with these key pieces of information. 1. A few points on the person’s background Knowing a little bit about them will make it easier for you to strike up conversation. I was at a conference two years back and really wanted to meet the CEO of a large African bank. I did a bit of research and found out that he’d given a really interesting talk on Gender Equality. So when I went up to introduce myself to him, I opened with “Hi Mr. X, my name is Yasmin. I watched your talk at XYZ about gender equality and found it so inspiring.” And on the conversation went. 2. Why we’d like to speak to them It’s important to be clear (if possible) on why you’d like to talk to someone. It helps you steer the conversation in the right way and tailor your pitch appropriately. So, if I’d like to speak to someone about being a pitch competition judge, I’ll start off talking about our awesome pitch competition, the other judges we’ve had and how much fun those judges had. If I’m talking to someone about sponsoring our event, I’ll focus more on talking about the SLA community – growing it is. See the difference? PS: This isn’t being disingenuous. It’s just understanding that people care about different things and so making sure that you’re emphasizing the part of your business that they’re most likely to care about. Hang out by the food table If you don’t feel comfortable introducing yourself to people, try hanging out by the food table. Food is always a great conversation starter. If you see someone picking up that lovely mini cupcake you just tried, go up to them and say, “Those cupcakes are absolutely amazing. You should definitely try one. O … I’m Yasmin by the way. Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” And voila! You’ve struck up a conversation in a non-awkward and relaxed manner. Ask questions Most people think that networking is all trying to impress people with your amazing accomplishments. But it’s just as important to listen to other people and try to learn more about them. Not only is it polite but the more you learn about someone, the more likely you are to find interesting ways that they could be helpful to you and your business. I was at a conference once and struck up a conversation with a guy who worked in PE – his deals were all Europe-focused so there wasn’t that much in common with SLA. But after chatting for a few minutes, he mentioned that his wife sat on the board of an organization that we’d desperately been trying to reach out to! Now, you see if I’d spent the whole time blabbing to him about myself, I may never have found out about this awesome connection. Go for the number 2 Here’s a scene I see at networking events all the time. Important woman or man arrives and everyone swarms him/her, jockeying to get a word in, shoving cards in his/her face, begging for his/her card. Important man/woman is overwhelmed, a little uncomfortable and frankly doesn’t see individuals, instead he/she just sees a mass of overly eager faces. When this happens DO NOT join them. Here’s a little trick I’ve learnt. Look around for the people that this person arrived with. It might be a chief of staff, a PA, a family friend or just a friend. Target that person. Why you ask? Because that person is waaaaay more accessible than important man/woman and yet they have access to important man/woman. So, connecting with them gives you a good chance of securing a (maybe even private) meeting with important man/ woman in the future. More generally, that person may actually be able to teach you a thing or two. After all smart, successful people tend to surround themselves with other smart, successful people. So there you have it! A couple of short tips to help you become ace your next networking event.