The Networking Event - A Follow Up

As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, I was about to attend a women’s networking event and like many people, I was nervous. Sure, I have an entire class based purely on networking and my book is filled with tons of networking tips. Still that old uncomfortable feeling came over me, “What if no one will talk to me?”

The event topped off at 50 people and the room was set up with standing pub tables and sit down tables and chairs. As expected there were clusters of women who knew one another and stood in small groups catching up. There were also single women and those who moved from group to group. I was prepared, though and this is what I learned.

1. We talked about our jobs.
2. We talked about our families
3. We talked about sports
4. We talked about our jobs again

We talked about our jobs. With drink in hand we introduced ourselves and our businesses. The variety of companies and positions in the room was impressive. Since we were all business owners, the playing field was level. Our introductions quickly turned to our businesses and it was remarkable to see people talk so comfortably about their passions.
Tip: Practice your elevator speech but don’t make it sound rehearsed. Think about what you love about your field of interest and let that passion shine through.

We talked about our families: Many attending the networking meeting had families and the conversation quickly turned to children, colleges, jobs and locations. I realized that like-aged women seemed to gather together. I did notice that the younger (20 something’s) stuck together and didn’t really stray outside of their own group.

We talked about sports: Many years ago there was a networking survey conducted that tested the false theory that when men get together they talk about business and sports and when women get together they talk about anything but business. We again proved that the hypothesis was wrong as we discussed teams, personal sporting likes and dislikes and local events.

We talked about business again. We exchanged cards, business ideas and scheduled future meetings. When I returned home, I connected with these women on LinkedIn.

This networking event was for me, about gathering business. For the job seeker, the same principles apply. It’s all about personal connection followed up with a social connection. It’s about listening and sharing information and not pushing. It’s about meeting new people and establishing relationships. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a chance.

I am looking forward to doing business with my new connection and continuing the relationship with my other new contacts.