Networking is a great way to spread the word about your business and although it might seem alien to you to ‘sell yourself’ – we’ve got you covered with ‘what not to do at a networking event’.
It’s no mean feat walking into a room on your own, introducing yourself and letting people know about your business. But by networking with the right people, you could build up meaningful relationships with your ideal clients so these events can prove really beneficial to help your business grow.
To help you on your networking journey, we’ve collated some classic newbie mistakes that you should try and avoid – so, here’s what not to do at a networking event.
4 THINGS NOT TO DO AT A NETWORKING EVENT
DON’T ATTEND EVERY NETWORKING EVENT
Attend the ones that are beneficial to you. It’s best to keep in mind quality over quantity. If you’re attending similar networking events on a regular basis, then you’ll find that you keep coming across the same people, those whom are already aware of you and what you’re there for, so you’ll start to get less from each event as you’re not making any new connections. Try and vary the type of events your attending.
DON’T GO TO EVENTS THAT YOU WON’T POTENTIALLY GET BUSINESS FROM
Have a think about the other businesses that are going to be there. If you’re attending an event that specific to your sector, chances are that there going to be other companies there doing exactly what you do. Consider your target market and attend an event that they’d be at instead.
DON’T GO IN WITH A HARD SELL
Networking isn’t about giving someone as much information as possible about who you are and what you do, it’s about building relationships, having a conversation and remembering people. Perhaps try to talk less about yourself and ask more about the other person. They’ll probably remember you more than the person who has just given them a hard sales pitch for the past ten minutes.
DON’T GO STRAIGHT IN WITH A BUSINESS CARD
Work on the above point and get to know someone before you thrust your business card in their face. We’ve all been there when we’ve had numerous business cards waved in our faces and you learn more about the person from their card than what they’ve told you themselves. Networking isn’t about handing out as many business cards as you can, the recipient will not have a clue who you are from the name on your business card.
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