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How I introduce myself at conferences (and other networking tips)

by Workman
4 replies


Our company is agile and lean with a focus on the long tail. Ok, our company is actually a polecat I found in my backyard. -- xkcd

What do you want to communicate to those your networking with?

What do you look for when networking with others? (What draws you to them?)

Are there any similarities with what you're trying to convey to others and what you are looking for? (Would you stand out in the crowd you're looking at?)
#conferences #introduce #networking #tips
  • Profile picture of the author tenaciouscreations
    I guess it all boils down to the reasons I am networking at what ever event. I look for different things in a customer than I look for in a business partner. One of the best suggestions I can give about networking is to show a genuine interest in the person you are networking with.

    Everyone thinks their own business and the things they do are boring yet everyone loves to talk about them. If you are genuinely interested in learning about the other person you show a level of respect. In return there are often more than not very interested in what you have to say.

    I also highly recommend you practice what you are going to say when it comes to networking situations. This allows you to ensure you deliver the most important items of what you have to say to the person you are networking with.

    Ben
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    • Profile picture of the author Workman
      Originally Posted by tenaciouscreations View Post

      Everyone thinks their own business and the things they do are boring yet everyone loves to talk about them...

      I also highly recommend you practice what you are going to say when it comes to networking situations. This allows you to ensure you deliver the most important items of what you have to say to the person you are networking with.
      I certainly identify with you on approaching different people (clients/peers) in different ways. Generally, once someone has identified themselves, I grab onto any topic they seem to have expressed interest in and if nothing else the context of the situation usually allows conversation to go deeper. But working into the points of what I want to convey is where my conversation breaks down.

      Reciting a script in the middle of a natural flowing dialog tends to feel very strange. As a result, I usually state points of my services or products based on what feels natural in the conversation, but this also means missing some important details that could have resulted in a conversion of some sort.

      Is this simply something that you work on continuously until it becomes second nature on the floor?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    What you need is a good 30-second commercial. It explains what typical problems your prospects and clients have, that your solutions fix.

    I wrote a guest blog entry for a friend about this awhile back. The things for the Arts apply to you, too.
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  • Profile picture of the author marieparman
    thanks for the share ...great post
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