Yes, I’m an introvert. Now that I’m admitting it in writing, I won’t be able to fake it anymore. But something tells me some of you reading this may also be introverts (… uhmm … hi!).
If networking events are a must-do part of your lead-generation activities and you’re anything like me, it is dreadful to walk into a room and start a conversation with a stranger. To me it is like jumping into a lake without knowing the temperature of the water. Here are some tips that other introverts have taught me or that I have learned along the way:
Plan ahead
Do your research and depending on the size and duration of the event, have a target of how many people you want to meet. Put those many business cards in your right pocket and hand one to each new connection. When your pocket is empty, you have reached your goal. Also, there may be a specific person you want to meet – start with them first.
You’re not the only one
If you see other people wandering alone, they’re probably other introverts fearful of that initial contact. The key point to consider is that they also chose to go to the same networking event as you, so now both of you have the same goal in common: you want to make new connections. All it takes is a gentle but firm “Hi, my name is ____, who are you?“, with direct eye contact and a smile. If they really are introverts, they will be thankful that you took the first step, and if they are extroverts, they will say hi as soon as they notice your eye contact. Make sure you exchange business cards.
Whew! Hardest part done!
How to have a great conversation
The most common next question is “what do you do?”, but be ready for a well-rehearsed elevator pitch. Some of us introverts prefer a meaningful one-on-one conversation, so here are a few alternatives that will reveal a lot more than just their title:
- “How did you get into your line of business?”
- “What do you like most about your job?”
- “What is the top skill that you need to do your job successfully?”
- “What makes your company different?”
Be genuine in your interest in their answers and listen attentively, the conversation will take a life of its own. In general, people engage when you are interested in them so pay close attention to their answers but also to their body language, facial expressions, and intonation.
Stop and reassess
After about 3-5 minutes, you should get a good feel for the connection, their – and your – willingness to continue talking, and the chemistry between the two of you. Take one of these three next steps:
- Talk more now – Kindly suggest to find a table or somewhere to sit and continue your conversation, but be mindful of their need to make more connections, in which case you can fall back to option 2 above. If your connection turns into a prospect on the spot, follow your usual sales script but make sure you end with a scheduled working session on both of your calendars.
- The End – a good exit is to smile and politely say “Hey, it was great meeting you, let’s mingle and meet more people!” Nobody should feel offended, chemistry is usually felt in both directions
- Talk more later – Both of you spent good money and time to be at this event to make more than one connection, but since this is going well, you can say “This conversation deserves more time and I know you also want to meet more people here, can we look at our calendars to schedule some quality time to continue talking?” Although it takes an extra minute to lock it into your calendar on your phone, scheduling on the spot will save you lots of follow up afterwards.
Follow up
After the event, write down notes of what you discussed with each contact and what you would like to talk about in the future. Within 24 hours, for the dry connections that ended quickly, send them an email reminding them where you met and what you talked about and invite them to reach out if you can help them. They will appreciate the courtesy. For the connections with outcomes 2 and 3 above, send them a short email letting them know that you’re looking forward to the meeting you already scheduled, this shows your interest and also helps as a friendly reminder.
I hope you find these tips helpful and make sure that you share below what is your go-to rule for networking events.
