1 Be prepared with a plan and questions
Find out who is attending the event beforehand – get a list of the attendees if you can. Decide on 3 people you really want to meet and Google them to understand their backgrounds (and what they look like).
Prepare a few open questions to ask in advance. Don’t assume you know what’s important to them or how you might help them – ask questions and listen, before you start to talk about yourself.
And always have an escape plan. You don’t want to get stuck talking to the same person if there’s no common ground between you. Position yourself to face out at an event rather than having your back to the group, so you can see others around you. And keep your glass less than half full so that you always have a reason to leave.
2 Focus on the results you create, not on what you do
Your job title may be important to you, but not everyone is so interested. Introduce yourself by describing the outcome and the results that happen after clients work with you. Make it short, succinct and specific.
You want people’s reaction to be “I need help with that” or “that sounds interesting, tell me more”.
3 Follow up quickly and sincerely
Meeting people at events is just the first step to building resourceful relationships, not the end of the process. Make contact quickly with people you meet, ideally within 2 days. Send an email, call them or connect via LinkedIn with an invitation to meet if appropriate.
People are much more likely to remember you if you look for ways to sincerely help them. Look for opportunities to introduce them to other people, pass on good advice or point them to resources you believe will be useful. Create value for others and you create value for yourself.
