Networking - How to Work a Room

When you attend any event, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, one way to make an impression is to learn how to work a room. If you go in with a plan of action, you can leave the star of the event.

Choose the Right Events – Know why you want to go to events. If you want to meet your competition, choose industry events; if you want to meet your ideal client, choose events that will attract them. You can find local events via social media groups, web searches, the local Chamber of Commerce, etc.

Know How to Introduce Yourself – Develop a few different ways of introducing yourself so that it’s memorable. For example, if your name rhymes with something, you can use that to your advantage – especially if it’s a word related to your niche. You can also think of ways to insert your intro into various conversations that are common at events. You want it to be natural but memorable.

Study Up on Your Audience – You can do this a little before you show up by looking at the membership directory of some types of groups, but you can also do it on the fly as you’re at the event. Take time to listen to the audience during socialising so that you can get to know them. If you go to regular meet ups, use your first visit to mostly listen, the second time to get to know people better and the third time to let them get to know you.

Learn Names and Faces – Some people are very good at remembering names and faces, others aren’t. Try to connect their face and name to their business in your mind with word games. Repeat their name when you meet them, and try to introduce them to at least one other person which will help you remember more. See the section below on Memory Tricks.

Move through the Room – Don’t just stick with the same crowd the entire event. You want to try and talk to a wide variety of people. In fact, set a goal for how many people you want to talk to at any event you go to. It can be tempting to stick by the people you already know, but you should work the room by moving through it and meeting new people.

Show Interest in Others – It’s funny how self-centred most of us are. It’s not a bad thing. It’s human nature. But you can use that in your favour by asking people appropriate questions about themselves and their business. Let them do most of the talking. People who get to talk with you will remember you more than if you did all the talking.

Dress Your Part and Smile – It’s sometimes hard to remember that first impressions play a big role. You should be yourself, of course. Dress with your truth and your style, not someone else’s. But, you do want to look approachable, so watch your resting face i.e. do your lips naturally curve downwards, which looks unwelcoming, or do you have a natural smile that makes people feel they can approach you. Ask your friends for help and feedback so you know how you seem to others.

Follow Up – After the event you want to follow up with anyone you spoke to for a few minutes if you have their information. Don’t immediately try to sell them something, but do follow up with any info that you promised them or make connections you know would be great for them. Do something nice that goes a little out of your way for the people that you really want to make an impression with.

Memory Tricks For Networking Success

When it comes to improving your memory, the single best technique is that of associating what you are memorising with something more inherently memorable. It makes the memory stand out, allowing you to come back to it afterwards.

Association with Imagination:

Transform mundane facts or names into vivid memories by associating them with lively mental images.

Practise amplifying, distorting, or placing the information in absurd situations. For example, when memorising names, visualise caricatures highlighting individuals' distinctive features, signed with their names.

Association via Stories:

Elevate your memorisation game by linking each image with the next through storytelling.

Create a narrative journey where each picture plays a role or interacts with the next.

Make the story grand, peculiar, and memorable to deepen the associations.

Association via Places:

Leverage the power of environmental recall by revisiting the surroundings where memories were formed, either physically or in your imagination.

Explore the advanced technique of the memory palace, using a familiar place as a mental framework for connecting and recalling various pieces of information.

Take an imaginative journey around a well-known location, strategically placing items to be remembered at key points.

Association through Lists:

Develop a mental arsenal of key words, each linked to a vivid mental image.

Regularly review and reinforce this mental list, envisioning the associated pictures to keep them fresh.

While this may initially seem labour-intensive, it equips you to effortlessly create associations for any information you wish to remember, building upon your existing mental inventory.

Embracing these associative techniques helps you navigate the intricate landscape of networking with confidence. This mastery of memory is not just a tool; it's a strategic advantage that ensures information retention and recall becomes second nature in your pursuit of networking success.

There’s no doubt that networking events can help boost your business exponentially, but only if you learn how to make an impression. It might take a little practise, but you can definitely learn this art. You may not realise this, but it’s likely you can find at least one networking event per week to attend in and near your local area that will fit your criteria. Try going to a lot of events at first so that you get plenty of practise, then narrow it down to events your ideal clients attend and attend the ones that are really effective for you.

Categories: Business tips