2015 is fast approaching and it’s the ideal time to make plans for your 2015 networking strategy. Networking events not only help grow your business, but they get you out of the office and meeting new people and exchanging new ideas.
Here are tips to assure your networking efforts bear fruit:
- Understand who will be at the events and in which areas they practice to uncover who you might want to meet. Pre-planning means knowing what you hope to accomplish: To collect and pass out business cards? Make meaningful connections?
- You don’t want to tell a new connection who you are and what you can do for them (although that is certainly part of it). Instead, ask open ended questions to get to know the other person. When you meet someone for the first time, it should be a give and take conversation. He should give you time to tell who you are and what you do and you should have the opportunity to do the same.
- Pay attention when the person is talking. Don’t be scanning the room for the next person you want to speak with.
Mark your calendar now for networking events to attend that will kick your new year off right.