I’m a big fan of Liz Lynch’s book,
Smart Networking. It’s a very contemporary guide to how to connect with others for mutual gain, which is what networking is all about!
Lynch also has a blog related to her book, and recently she posted an item about how to network at conferences and other large gatherings. A couple of points she makes bear repeating, and augmenting.
Expand your search for non-obvious events. It’s important to meet people in your industry or your profession, but think outside the box, too.
Lynch says that,
“You need to make an appearance every year at the big trade show for your industry, but you also should broaden to other events your target market might attend. The more tightly defined the conference is, the chances that your competitors will be there too will be slim, and the more likely you'll be able to differentiate yourself. You might choose a specific demographic niche, such as women or baby boomers, a professional niche, such as lawyers or doctors, or a special interest niche, such as sports or gourmet food.”
She suggests checking resources such as Trade Show News to discover new events to attend, but also rightly suggests checking with your network for ideas.
One advantage for Arizona State University graduates who attend the Alumni Association’s Maroon and Gold Professionals Network and Women in Business mixers is that they have the best of both worlds on this one—the diversity of attendees makes it easy to tap in to new ideas for places to network, but the events also encourage connecting around the shared connection to ASU, so it is less awkward to get the conversation started with a new contact.
Clarify your goals. Lynch notes that many would-be networkers approach big events with a combination of hope and dread. She suggests that one shape brief description of their goals for the big event. The better you can describe what you’re seeking, she asserts, the better you can plan which sessions to attend, which attendees to approach, etc.
One suggestion I would make for ASU graduates is to use a conversation at one of our events to ask if attendees have experience networking at a large-scale event and what their outcome was. You may be able to find great tips for approaching key contacts, and the suggestion may come from someone in another industry, whom you might never think to approach otherwise.
Be sure to read Liz Lynch’s complete post. It’s one of a series related to networking at conferences, so stay tuned for more useful information!
Learn more about the Maroon and Gold Professionals Network
Learn more about the Women in Business group
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