Have you ever been at a networking event and the person you were talking to spent a majority of time looking around the room instead of looking at you? Were they just killing time until something much more interesting came around? When this happens, it changes your view of the person you are speaking with. Don’t let yourself ever fall into the temptation to scan the room while someone is talking to you. Engage fully with the person in front of you. Here are some tips to use at your next networking event.
- Make the first approach. Introduce yourself to someone you have never met before. Most people are hesitant in these situations, so be the one to initiate the conversation; it will show that you have confidence and you will be seen as someone of influence.
- Listen intently to the person you are talking to. Make them your focus for the period of time they are in front of you. You want them to feel like the most important person you have meet.
- Ask questions about them and their business. Spend a majority of the time letting them talk. By letting them talk, you can start to determine if they might be a prospect for your business. If you do the majority of the talking, you potentially waste time trying to connect with someone who is not part of you ideal target market.
- My mother will appreciate this suggestion: Always be polite. If you need to end the conversation, wait for a natural break and then you can offer, “I’m glad to have met you, it was nice speaking with you.” Avoid phony exit excuses such as, “I think I see my dentist over there – I better go say hello.” We all know when someone is doing it to us. A simple, “Thanks for talking to me – good to have met you,” is a much better closing.
Happy Selling!
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