How To Make The Best Out Of A Networking Session
The post covid season has made it possible for communities, organizations, and everyone to organize and host physical events and that’s one thing we should be grateful for. At every event, there is always an opportunity to network either it is included in the order of the program or not.
I mean, if you are in a room filled with people you are seeing for the first time, it’s only pertinent that you engage in conversations with one or two persons, either to ask for directions to the restroom or to share a comment about ongoing conversation.
No doubt you will have to hold conversations with people, which might end up becoming a networking session. It’s quite simple to attend an event and end up with 50 business cards of people you may never meet again in your life like I did, or you exchange contact with just one person who would be the solution you needed to get to the next stage of your life.
You will ask me how you know who will help and who will not.
How To Maximize Networking Opportunities
- Set an expectation; e.g, at this event, I want to network with people who are product managers and currently working to help my new career in product management. With this, you would definitely be on the lookout for people who suit your expectations.
- Accept that you can’t network with everybody; yes, you can’t network with everybody, the more reason why you should not attend any event virtual or physical without doing Number 1.
- Don’t be shy to introduce yourself to the person sitting beside you; Remember, you left your house with a clear expectation of what you are looking for, and not everyone will have a placard to their head that they are product managers, and you may not know except you ask. Sometimes, you may end up being the person who gives out more than to even receive.
- Go big or Go home; I got this quote from a movie I recently saw ‘Scratch’ it’s on Netflix (if you’re emotionally sensitive, get a box of tissue close by based on the review). What was I saying 😂. Yes, you didn’t come all the way from wherever you came from just to sit, stare into space and consume whatever is offered. Leave your comfort zone-your head and interact with the people around you. Remember you don’t necessarily have to get their phone number, you may not even need their contact, you can have conversations with them and they end up referring you for a job or something close, just because you had a conversation with them
- Think of how to help others; don’t go with a consumer mindset, go with a creator mindset. Determine in your heart that you will be willing to help anybody you come across that needs your help. Don’t feel entitled to access to people, if you request and they decline, move on, don’t be bitter about it.
- Come to terms with the possibility of not making new friends. For me, I have a mantra, “friendship is earned”, before I can call you my friend you must have earned so I don’t go about flinging that word at anyone.
The fact that you met someone today does not automatically make them your friend, and that’s okay. Acquaintances can still help you, strangers can still help you. I have this friendship thread I use to describe people around me, Strangers, ->Acquinatance -> Friendship -> Family friends/partners. For every stage of the line, there are requirements, no, I’m not sharing my own requirements, you know yourself, you know your direction and you know what will get you to where you are headed, use that as the basis of your requirement.
A short story,
I met this guy at a conference in 2019, we were both volunteers, and we got acquainted with each other. during one of our conversations, he advised that I take a few months to deep-learn and I will be amazed at the results I will get from that. That was in the early stage of my web development career. It didn’t make much sense to me back then, but about 3 years after, it came back to me, and it keeps ringing in my head. From that particular event, that was the only person I made acquaintance with beyond the event that we are still within reach. What happened was that we got to know each other at the venue and decided that we both had something the other person might need and that was it. We didn’t become best of friends, we simply enjoyed access to each other.
When you have access to people, don’t feel entitled to them, appreciate and respect the access you have for them.
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Cheers,
