Nervous about networking? Don’t sweat it.
In today’s connected world, most people view networking as looking up someone on LinkedIn and sending them a message. Or following people on Twitter or Facebook. The term networking has swiftly become a digital-first approach to finding opportunities. However, there remains a tremendous opportunity for real estate agents to find lucrative connections through in-person face-to-face networking events. However, most people find this way of networking difficult and awkward. What comes to their mind is a cocktail party full of strangers and having to start up awkward conversations that are punctuated by even more awkward silences. Well, to help you gain confidence and network more effectively in person, try these techniques.
Build Context
Whether you are a successful business person or not, 99% of the people at a networking event will probably not know you. Think of a conference you are attending bringing in people from all over the state or even the entire country. While you may be well-known in your city, this is probably not the case elsewhere. To avoid awkward moments, always seek to build context by introducing yourself and stating what you do. This context-building gives an opportunity for the people you are speaking with to do the same. If they do know you, you will have established that you are not a pompous individual.
Be on Offense
Awkward silences are the bane of anyone trying to network successfully. You walk up to a person, and you introduce yourself, they introduce themselves, you chat a bit about the event, what brought you there and then nothing. Eventually, you drift apart, and it is only later that you realize you did not get a business card or even find out the location of their office. A smart way to overcome this challenge is to always be on the offensive, which means, ask questions. Questions draw people and conversation out and keep things interesting. You can use any number of conversational techniques here. The important thing is to know that if you keep asking questions, there won’t be any awkward silences.
Remain Mobile
Some people will tell successful networking means finding the center of the event and somehow attaching yourself to them. This way, whenever people come to speak with them, there you are. This strategy is not the best. When you do this, you miss the opportunity of meeting someone on the fringes of the event which may very well have been just the connection you were looking for. Instead, move around, remain fluid and mobile, speaking to anyone you happen to make eye contact with. Just remember not to barge into conversations or seem overly eager to speak with every single person. No one likes to feel like they are just one more blip on your networking radar
Make Every Conversation Count
When networking, it’s tempting to want to cycle through as many people as possible. While you do want to speak to as many people as you can, you need to make every conversation count. That means paying attention to each person you connect with. Have a genuine interest in who they are and what they have to say. The surprising thing about networking is that often, the person you are speaking with is just a few degrees of connection from extremely influential people. Keep this in mind whenever networking as you never know who the person you are speaking with is connected to.
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