Boost Your Networking Potential Through Professional Training
If you pride yourself with an extended business network, you probably did a great job at recognising what makes people tick during public events and mingling sessions. Even in a crowd, when interaction time is limited, you were able to discover that something that makes a business contact valuable.
But even if you consider yourself 'just average' at networking, you still probably noticed a few tactics of collecting business cards during the last conference, seminar or training course you attended, that could, broadly speaking, fall under the label 'networking'.
Not all networking styles are the same. Depending on how formal the occasion is, who's attending and who's in charge of the event, you may witness various 'staged acts' of establishing business (and human!) contact. Personality plays an important role, but it's not always the most natural reaction that people put out on display during a networking occasion, be that an international summit or just a happy hour.
We noticed a few styles that stand out from the crowd (or quite the opposite). How many do you recognise?
1. The Business Card Collector
They try to blend in and perform the smoothest exchange of business cards. Not much of a chatter, he/she has their own stack ready and is willing to pile up at least two copies of each leaflet, presentation or brochure on the stand. Needless to say, fairs and exhibitions are their thing: not much social contact required, can easily prove to everyone else back in the office that they attended the networking event.
They're in great luck if approached by someone with a genuine interest in their role in the event. Interaction can be difficult on the spot, but following through with a call can help build a stronger relationship. You shouldn't be surprised to hear that more passive networkers are actually great public speakers and they will shine in the spotlight. Although you'd associate this style with introversion, it's also a known formula for 'good enough' networking that doesn't expose you or your business too much, but still opens the way to new potential collaborations.
2. The Social Butterfly
They will find a conversation starter, related or not to the reason why you're at the event, and you'll find yourself enjoying your dialogue. Social Butterflies are fun to have around, they'll make your time at the event fly by during the coffee break. If they're delivering a presentation, you might expect some digressions and extra time required. They'll make you offer them your business card, will add you on LinkedIn, even Facebook if you're lucky, the day after. They're agile at spotting a good coffee break buddy and lead the conversation throughout the whole time
Interpersonal skills are his/her great plus, but probably they don't have a good filter of what makes good business contacts. To build reliable business contacts, personal charisma is a start, refining your networking skills is a winner. There's many way to go about improving your conversation skills and general approach to networking. By far, the most preferred solution this season is coaching, offered in various training formats by experts in this field.
3. The Boss's Pet
Imagine the following scene: you, your office buddies and the boss in a dialogue with a potential business partner. Someone in the team will credit the boss for a big accomplishments, moving the spotlight to where the power is. It could be a strategy for the discussion, but it reminds you of the teacher's pet in school. They know they'll be remembered and bear a positive aura back in the office. It might be awkward for your (new) business contacts, though.
Praising someone can release good energy, it turns out, but focusing on the actual message of the conversation and where the value of the potential business relation lies, are key in situations like these. Boss's pets have a lot to gain by improving their conversation skills and focusing on the winning elements of the discussion. The problem could also lie at the core of the manager-employee relation, and what the manager's expectations are regarding collecting feedback on their own performance from employees. Management development courses have helped many develop themselves and their employees into high performing teams.
4. The Debater
They follow the news, want to be on top of it and do their best to prove it in front of everyone they're well informed. Showing you're knowledgeable and informed on the latest developments in your area can show your potential business partners that you can manage innovation and stay ahead of the trends. It's a great gift to show enthusiasm and an actual vision for what you're trying to achieve.
For the Debater, it's often tricky to find a balance between collecting input from others and sharing 'did you know' facts. It may come with being passionate about your professional area or from a desire to impress. With improved communication skills , they can go a long way. They might need some guidance on recognising others' body language, when the talk is getting uninteresting for others and when it's time to exchange business cards and move on.
5. The Mingler
They spotted the nibbles before you did. They're remarkably brief at conversations, mostly an exchange about the weather or anything that serves to make the dialogue less awkward. You may consider them superficial, but some minglers are excellent multi-taskers that could tackle several conversations at once. Short interactions can help filter out useful contacts from time-wasters.
It doesn't mean they're rude or uninterested, they're just trying to make the most of the time they should/have to spend at the networking event. If you meet minglers during a training course, your conversations might lack focus, but it could be enough to recognise if they're a valuable business connection or someone you can later exchange views on the programme you attended.