Feel The Fear and Network Anyway

Here are my 4 top tips to help you network like a boss!

1. Make a plan for the events you want to attend
   What is your objective (why are you attending?) Contact the organiser and find out more about the event - the format, who else is likely to be there? If there's someone on the list that you would particularly like to meet, ask the organiser to introduce you!
2. Aim for good quality over quantity
   Both in terms of the number of events you attend and the number of attendees. You might find that a more targeted event with the right people in the room may be more beneficial for you and your business. Some of the smaller more personal networking events are great if you want to have better quality conversations.
3. Be yourself
   You will be meeting people for the first time so it's good to get off on an honest footing. Don’t try to be the person you think others want to meet. It's so important to be genuine. The people you make connections with when you are being authentic are the ones you will want to stay in touch with and the ones you are more likely to build sound business relationships with.
4. Follow Up 
   To maximise the effectiveness of attending networking meetings and events, you really need to follow up. Indeed if you don't - are you actually networking? Try to write personalised follow up messages within a couple of days of the event. If not, there's a risk that what you discussed with the people you met will just disappear into the post networking event aether!

Val

Photo credit: Captured by Megan Wilson