Networking at a conference: how to get the best results

This subject recently came up in a conversation with a coaching client, and it really set me thinking as I realised that there’s quite a lot to this. In this short read, I'll offer some ideas and some kind of structure for how to network successfully at conferences.

What are you trying to achieve?

My view is that networking should be 85% adding value to other people. First, it’s a good thing to do for others. Second, building up a feeling of goodwill means that if and when you eventually need help, you’re more likely to get it because of the law of reciprocation. So, perhaps having the goal of meeting interesting and relevant people who you’re in a position to add value to - and who, in turn, may be able to help you in the future - is no bad aim at work conferences.

With this in mind, it’s important to consider how you present yourself, and how not to present yourself. In my view, your ability to be successful will be lower if you come across as:

• self-serving
• needy or ‘desperate’
• having little to offer
• disingenuous
• having no boundaries and easily taken advantage of

Instead, you’ll find that you get better results if you’re:

• authentically interested in the other person
• someone who clearly has value and wants to add value to others without expecting something in return
• clearly someone who has a sense of abundance (the opposite of neediness), but is also discerning about where you put your focus

With those mindset ideas in mind, here are some additional thoughts on how to get the best from a professional event such as a conference.

Maximising your opportunities at work conferences

1. Do your research and understand who the speakers will be and, if you can, get a list of attendees. It’s not always realistic to have a goal of meeting specific people during breaks, but it’s worth having a general idea of who you’d like to speak to.
2. Organise to meet. If you have a list, then ahead of the event you might suggest meeting up with one or two people by sending a message on LinkedIn.
3. Have business cards - old school, I know - maybe with a QR code to your LinkedIn Profile. Or, at least exchange details at the end of a conversation.
4. Be slow to make promises of action and if you do - you must absolutely follow up - your reputation depends on that.
5. Attend the breakout meetings and any workshops where interaction with others might be easier and more natural.
6. Make notes. To help you take action on your promises, immediately after the conversation go to your phone and dictate your notes: who you spoke to, the key info about them, any agreement to take action on both sides, what date and time you had the conversation. There’s bound to be some AI app that will give you a transcript. Alternatively, you may have have your PA on standby, so you could dictate the notes and have them get started on making things happen while you go on to your next conversation.
7. Make most of the conversation about the other person. Understand them and their needs. Assess if you’re able to help them (genuinely) and if so, in what specific way.
8. Be present. There’s nothing worse than talking to someone who is continually looking over your shoulder to see if there’s someone more interesting to speak to. Don’t be that person. Stay focussed. That level of focus is very flattering and will deepen your relationship.
9. Be happy to share information about yourself and have some form of ‘elevator pitch’ ready. It doesn’t need to be lengthy - 30 to 45 seconds is about right. It wants to be done in such a way that provokes curiosity and allows the other person to ask more about you.
10. Now and for the rest of your career, you want to be as findable as possible on LinkedIn by people who might want to employ you at some point. With that in mind, perhaps, write a post about the event on LinkedIn to give you a degree of visibility. Furthermore, it’s an activity that’s likely to please the algorithms and improve the findability of your profile.

I hope you find these ideas useful. If you have any further ideas, please add them in the comments section. If you’d like to have a conversation about your Career, Job Search and related issues, then please reach out and book a call here.