Striking up a conversation in a room full of strangers requires courage. And when you’re by yourself and aiming to sell your services or product to the assembled crowd, the idea can be especially terrifying.
But like many other skills, networking is something you can learn to be good at. Spending time on building your confidence, perfecting your lightning pitch and expanding your contacts book will only help you to grow your business, too.
But what does it take to get better at networking? From picking your events with care to doing your homework so that you really understand your audience, here are five tips to help you work the room:
1. Avoid the hard sell
It may seem counterproductive, but launching into a pitch the moment you meet someone is unlikely to boost your bottom line. Steve Morgan, a freelance SEO consultant, says his “anti-sales” networking approach has actually led to more sales.
He says: “I try to get to know the person, talk to them about their business, and try to offer a bit of free advice related to what I do – online marketing. It’s a way of showing expertise, a different way of selling yourself, and they might be more inclined to refer me on or become a client themselves because of it.”
As a result of his approach, Morgan has become the go-to SEO professional referral through an online business group. “I never actively sell to anyone, because I know that that’d be a big turn-off,” he says.
Morgan also makes time for non-business networking events, which could mean anything from web development meet ups to blogger events.
“Again, the goal is not to sell,” he says. “Especially in what’s usually more of an informal and social environment. But if you’re the only person in your industry who goes to these things, it’s a good way to make connections and become the go-to person for referrals.”
2. Understand your audience
“It’s all too easy to launch into a sales pitch, but showing understanding of a potential customer is of far more value and can give you the insight you need to engage further,” says Julian Pearce, corporate communications director at Propaganda, a Leeds-based management and brand consultancy.
Understanding your audience, by researching the event, topics up for discussion and who might be there, will help you tailor your networking approach. “Turning up at an event, off-spec, in the hope of making a useful contact is a very inefficient way of working,” says Pearce.
Most networking events will provide you with a list of people who are set to attend – look through the attendees and their bios to give yourself plenty of ammunition with which to strike up a conversation.
And when you do speak, make sure you keep it snappy. “You should be able to articulate [what you do] in no more than ten words and should have considered how you’re relevant to the people you’re speaking to,” Pearce adds.
3. Strike up a conversation
At the event, look for people you know – whether you recognise them from your research, have met them before, or they gave a keynote at the event.
“Approach the speaker, or position yourself near the more sociable areas,” says Ben Botes, associate lecturer at London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) and CMO of Caban Investments UK.
“Your preparation will prove useful, as it is always easier to approach someone when you already know a bit about them. For example, what their business or sector is.”
He adds: “Bear in mind that some people may not want to hear you speak about yourself or your business. Build a rapport by showing an interest in what they do, rather than talking about yourself from the outset.”
Figure out in advance how you are going to describe your business. It doesn’t have to be word perfect, but it is important to explain what your business does and how people benefit from it. “Remember to make it memorable,” says Botes.
4. Follow up
If you’ve collected a wallet-full of business cards at an event, don’t throw away your hard work by leaving them to gather dust on your desk.
Jeremy Bradley, director of academic affairs at online education provider Study InterActive, says: “Send a short email to the people you’ve met within a few days of the meeting, saying that it was nice to meet them and that you’d like to get whatever it is out of the relationship – be that a coffee date, a business contact, or so on. Keep the email short and to the point.”
It’s also a good idea to connect with the people you meet on LinkedIn, but don’t just add the contact, Bradley says – actually send them a message to “take the relationship to the next level”.
He adds: “If you can remember something witty or interesting that the person has said, that’s all the better. Mention that in the email or message, that will help cement the relationship.”
5. Pick your events with care
For small business owners, time is short, so it’s imperative that you pick and choose the networking events that will help you to grow your business.
“Your best bet is to ask around,” says Bradley. “What kinds of events have your colleagues or friends been to? What are you looking for? If you want to meet business contacts, then you’ll choose different types of events from those that offer more social benefits for networking. Asking around will help you decide.”
Do your research before you pick an event, and make sure you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve when you’re there. “Once you fully understand what you want to achieve out of your networking experience, selecting which events to attend should become an easier process,” says Botes.
Content on this page is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with Kia Fleet, sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network Accessing Expertise hub.
