33 Quick Tips to Improve Your Networking Experience

Summary: Use these tips to help you conquer your next networking event and take the scariness out of it.

Networking is a necessary part of becoming successful in your career. No one necessarily enjoys going up to strangers to strike up a conversation, but you never know what you can gain from the experience. The connections you form may become a life saver when you find yourself looking for a new job or career change. Use these 33 tips to make networking easier:

1. Focus on the other person during conversations. Learn what motivate them by asking, listening and observing.
2. Use the person’s name a few times when you first meet them to help you remember their name and feel more familiar with them.
3. Before sending a LinkedIn invite to a new contact, follow up with them the next day.
4. Ask about the person’s hobbies, passions, and interests instead of just “where do you work?”
5. Go to networking events with a list of things you can offer instead of what you want from others.
6. Remember the reason to network is that business success relies on connections.
7. Ask how your new contact would like to be followed-up with: phone, email, LinkedIn, or other.
8. Don’t rush the new connection, true relationships take time to build.
9. Give your connection as reason to like you if you want them to help you.
10. Focus on the happiness that comes from making new acquaintances instead of the fear of talking with strangers.
11. Even if you don’t drink, go to the bar at conferences because that is where everyone else goes to relax.
12. Invite other conference attendees to dinner and pay the bill.
13. Be excited that you get the opportunity to network.
14. Try a simple “hi.”
15. Skip some of the sessions at a conference and instead stand in the hallway where you can get extra time to chat with others.
16. You can network through social media too. Build relationships by promoting their stuff and tagging them in your posts.
17. Have other interesting things to talk about besides just your work.
18. Seek our leadership roles so that people will be coming to you to network.
19. Take notes after talking with someone to remember a few details about each of them that you can use to follow-up with.
20. Don’t take all of someone’s time. If you are the only one doing all the talking, wrap things up and move on to someone else.
21. Don’t bother with your elevator pitch during networking. You want to sound authentic not like a salesperson.
22. Consider having a special budget just for using during networking events.
23. Bring a friend with the skill of talking with you to networking events to help break the ice.
24. You don’t have to attend a conference just to network – coffee shops and bars work too.
25. If you run out of thing to talk about, discuss the setting of the event.
26. It isn’t all about collecting business cards.
27. Everyone at networking events is in the same boat as you.
28. Generosity is the true currency used to form strong relationships.
29. Figuring out your career path is easier when you find someone that has already navigated it.
30. Amp up your LinkedIn presence before you go to the event so that your name is already out there.
31. Be helpful, generous, and considerate when following-up with new contacts after the event.
32. Keep “yes” in your mind when networking.
33. It will be scary but apply to be a speaker at a conference, this way everyone will know you and will make networking easier.

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