3 Tips To Help Your Networking Be More Effective

City Skyline

We had a brilliant Contacts and Cocktails on Thursday evening, after four and a half years, they just keep getting better and better! Big thanks again to all who came, it was great fun, and I loved the energy and passion everyone has for sharing their contacts and recommending other people who can help them.

My ‘facilitated networking’ format works so well with everyone there getting to know each other and their expertise, and contacts are shared around the table.

Pictures from the event are on my facebook page here if you’d like to have a look, and check out when we’re meeting next month. 

But what happens after attending a networking event? Here’s 3 Tips to help your networking last longer.

1. Connect and make contact

Have you said you’d connect someone via email, suggested a business contact you’d like to introduce someone to? Do it! You’ll make someone’s day. Sometimes people forget to do it, so can you give them a nudge?

If you receive an email introducing you to someone after the event, please reply, say thanks and connect with the person being introduced to you. Yes, people sometimes lose opportunities by not following up with leads and contacts that have been given to them. Aaagh, it’s a business crime!!

2. Reflect on the response you got, when you introduced yourself to a new contact

As at many networking events, you will get asked ‘What do you do?” sometimes even before they’ve asked you your name!

Have you noticed that?

So you need a good introduction that will capture their attention, and evoke a conversation. What happened last time you told someone “what you do” Did they get excited and want to know more or did your intro fall flat?

If you’re stuck as to what to say, or want to spice up your current way you introduce yourself, I’ve written a blog to help you reply to this, when someone says “What do you do?” You can read it here.

3. Also get in touch with those who you didn’t get chance to speak with at the event

Ping them an email and see when would be good to have a chat and find out more about each other.

I hope these tips help you make your networking event last longer for you, and help your networking be more effective.

Let me know how you get on and if you’d like help crafting your introduction, as has proven so effective at my events, Contacts and Cocktails, please do get in touch with me, I’d love to help you. It’s a key part of networking, you need to get it right.

Let’s go!

To your success and happiness.