Be Fearless >> walk up, stick out your hand, introduce yourself, ask them what they do, then shut up. People love to talk about themselves. So let them. Being quiet means you don’t have to come up with things to talk about and you can take their conversational lead.
Be Well-Read >> keeping up with current events and business trends gives you a treasure trove to draw from in terms of conversational topics.
Initiate A Call-To-Action >> if you want to learn more, there’s only so much you can chat about comfortably in a crowded room. Suggest to meet the person over coffee in a less busy setting. You’ll both be more relaxed and the ideas can flow more freely.
Follow Up In 24 Hours >> don’t shove the person’s card in your drawer and call it good. That’s not networking. That’s called disposing of your contacts. Email messages are good, but even a nice little hand-written note can lend some distinction to your thoughtfulness.
If The Conversation Isn’t Working Out Well, Release The Person >> you can always excuse yourself if they have lost interest or there isn’t any rapport building.
Don’t let yourself become your own worst obstacle to networking. Get out there, and get a networking workout…the more you do it, the easier it will become.
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