How to end the evening with a pocket full of business cards
1. Take the bull by the horns and be the first to start up the conversation. Simple questions, like asking someone where they've come from, or why they decided to attend this event, are a good way to start connecting.
2. If the networking event features a speaker, you could ask what they already know of the speaker or the topic.
3. Whatever you do, try to avoid starting with a complaint or something negative, since, even if you're just making small talk about the weather or the traffic, it's very easy to be labeled as a negative person. No one likes a whinger.
4. Remembering a person's name makes them feel important, so when you're introduced to other people, make an effort to remember. One way of doing this is to use their name immediately in your response, for example: "Hi Jonathan, good to meet you too", since this helps to reinforce it.
5. Avoid sensitive subjects. Just as you would at any other social occasion, avoid topics like religion and politics.
6. Be curious about the other people in the room. Ask open questions (starting with who, what, when, why or how).
7. Conversations can appear very one-sided if all you do is ask questions and give nothing away about yourself. So try to link what your contacts have said to your own stories.
8. Prepare your elevator pitch in advance so that when you get asked what you do or why you are here, you can give a succinct and compelling response.
9. "Fake it till you make it" is frequently used in coaching circles to inform people of the importance of their physiology and how it relates to mood. It's possible to role-play being a confident networker long enough for this to become a reality. So if you're lacking confidence, stand tall, keep your shoulders back, take a few deep breaths and smile.
10. Remember that others will be feeling pretty nervous too, even if they appear very confident.
Extracted from The Facebook Manager, by Bridget Grenville-Cleave and Jonathan Passmore, published by Management Books 2000
