Time to Work the Room

t seems like it was just yesterday when we were in Covid lockdown confined to our work caves and forced to master virtual meetings. For many who don’t like in-person meetings, this was the perfect excuse to remain in their protective bubble. For those who understand the importance of face-to-face meetings and networking events, this was a challenging time. The ability to meet new people, and strengthen existing relationships was severely handicapped.

The good news is that these challenging times are becoming a dot in the rearview mirror. Firms are holding in-person retreats again. Organizations are hosting conferences. Individuals are reconnecting with their network in person.

It seems like it was just yesterday when we were in Covid lockdown confined to our work caves and forced to master virtual meetings. For many who don’t like in-person meetings, this was the perfect excuse to remain in their protective bubble. For those who understand the importance of face-to-face meetings and networking events, this was a challenging time. The ability to meet new people, and strengthen existing relationships was severely handicapped.

The good news is that these challenging times are becoming a dot in the rearview mirror. Firms are holding in-person retreats again. Organizations are hosting conferences. Individuals are reconnecting with their network in person.

Recently, I have seen a surge of conferences and networking events reappearing throughout the US. Several of my clients have attended or plan to attend these events yet many of them approach them with reluctance. Even though they understand the importance of networking, they dread the thought of having to conduct small talk with people they don’t know. Through proper preparation and execution, these events don’t have to feel like a root canal.

Here are some tips to consider that can improve your mental state and yield better results at networking events.

Approach these events like you are the host. If you have ever hosted your own party, one of the most important obligations is to greet everyone and make them feel welcome. Ideally, you want to spend at least 5-10 minutes with each guest to catch up.

When you join a mixer at a conference, think of yourself as the host. Move around and try to connect with as many people as possible. Hanging out with one person for 30 minutes because the two of you hit it off is not a good use of your time. It limits your ability to meet more people and be a good host.

Set a goal in advance. It could be meeting a certain number of new relationships and strengthening existing ones. Setting a specific number will motivate you to keep moving and not get stuck in one conversation for too long.

Research folks who you know are attending. Sometimes you can get access to the RSVP list, especially if you’re a sponsor of the event. If not, then look at the speakers to see if there is anyone of interest. For those who you want to meet, print out their profile including their photo, and try to commit their relevant information to memory. Remembering a face will help you pick them out in a large crowd. Learning their profile in advance might give you things to talk about when you meet them.

Don’t hang out with colleagues. If there are colleagues in other offices with whom you want to connect, fine. Spend some time strengthening those internal relationships. If you already know them, lose the security blanket, and divide and conquer. That said, bringing a wing person can be effective because they can introduce you to their contacts and you can do the same for them.

Follow up! It amazes me how many people attend conferences, meet new and potentially meaningful contacts, and don’t follow up. A simple “nice to meet you” email within 48 hours after the event could suffice. If there is anything else that stands out about a person, add that to the note. It might help them remember who you are. Connecting with them on LinkedIn is also a logical follow-up, yet often overlooked.

Set realistic expectations. Too many professionals and marketing teams measure the success of a networking event by the number of leads it generates. I get it. That is the ultimate goal, but what timeline is set to meet this goal? Most new connections won’t yield leads until years later.

A better metric to set is the number of new relationships established. For example, if 10 new meaningful relationships are collected, that could be a successful outcome. I often hear my clients get their first lead from someone 2 years after they met them at a networking event. Having this in mind might change their perspective on the time invested in networking events.

It is a breath of fresh air to see the market open up after a challenging past few years of lockdown and seclusion. Most everyone is welcoming in-person human contact again. Building a successful business in professional services is hard to do from behind the computer. People buy from people they trust. The best way to do that is in person, and a great way to build and develop a network is at networking events. With a bit more preparation, execution, and follow-up, the time and money invested in events such as conferences or firm retreats can make a tremendous difference in your enjoyment and the results of your effort.