PIZZOLATO’S TOP TEN NETWORKING TIPS

1. BRING SUFFICIENT BUSINESS CARDS AND HAVE A PEN HANDY. WEAR SOMETHING WITH POCKETS.

2. KNOW WHO YOU WANT TO MEET - HOPEFULLY, BEFORE YOU GET THERE.

(A) IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE:

(i) GET AN ATTENDEE LIST PRIOR TO THE EVENT (IF YOU CALL AHEAD, MOST PLACES WILL FAX IT TO YOU); OR,

(II) IF THE LIST IS HANDED OUT AT THE EVENT, REVIEW THE LIST QUICKLY AND DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO MEET;

(B) IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE AT THE EVENT, CHAT WITH THEM FOR 5 MINUTES AND ASK IF THEY CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF YOUR TARGETS;

(C) IF YOU KNOW NO ONE AT THE EVENT, EXPLAIN TO THE PERSON TAKING ATTENDANCE THAT YOU ARE NEW AND COULD THEY DIRECT YOU TO THE ORGANIZER OF THE EVENT - IF POSSIBLE HAVE THE ATTENDANCE TAKER INTRODUCE YOU TO THE ORGANIZER - HOWEVER, MOST ORGANIZERS ARE VERY CONDUCIVE TO SELF-INTRODUCTION;

(D) GIVE THE ORGANIZER A BRIEF SELF-INTRODUCTION AND GET THE ORGANIZER'S CARD FOR A FOLLOW UP MEETING. HAVE THE ORGANIZER INTRODUCE YOU TO YOUR FIRST TARGET.

3. YOU'VE BEEN INTRODUCED - NOW WHAT?

(A) GIVE MORE THAN YOU TAKE:

(i) ASK YOUR TARGET WHAT THEY DO, WHERE THEY DO IT AND WHO THEIR TARGET MARKET IS - TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR BUSINESS -- QUICKLY;

(ii) ASK HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM GET BUSINESS;

(iii) ASK THEM FOR A CARD AND JOT DOWN ON THE BACK OF THE CARD WHAT THEY DO AND SOMETHING WHICH WILL HELP YOU REMEMBER WHO THEY ARE;

(iv) FINALLY, TELL THEM WHAT YOU DO AND WHERE - VERY BRIEFLY BECAUSE YOU INTEND TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM LATER - IT'S NOT REALLY IMPORTANT WHAT YOU DO -- YOU JUST WANT THE INTRODUCTION NOW - YOU DO THE REST ON YOUR FOLLOW UP. IF YOUR TARGET IS CLEARLY NOT INTERESTED (THEY KEEP LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM) IN WHAT YOU DO, DON'T FORCE IT - SAY IT WAS NICE MEETING THEM AND EXCUSE YOURSELF.

(B) FOLLOW UP WITHIN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO WITH A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT HOW NICE IT WAS TO MEET THEM OR AN INVITATION TO A DATE SPECIFIC BREAKFAST OR LUNCH.

4. YOUR TARGET REFUSES TO RELEASE YOU -- THE CLINGING TARGET.

(A) IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE AT THE EVENT, INTRODUCE YOUR CLINGING TARGET TO THAT SOMEONE - "YOU KNOW WHO YOU SHOULD MEET..." START WITH A GAMBIT AND EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM THE CONVERSATION. GO ON TO THE NEXT TARGET.

(B) IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEONE, ASK THE CLINGING TARGET IF THEY KNOW YOUR NEXT TARGET PERSON...COULD THEY INTRODUCE YOU. IF THEY DON'T, EXCUSE YOURSELF WITH "WOULD YOU EXCUSE ME, I NEED TO SPEAK WITH SO AND SO. PLEASURE MEETING YOU..." YOU MAY NOT WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM.

5. YOU HAVE NO TARGET AND JUST WANT TO MEET PEOPLE.

(A) HAVE YOUR LITTLE SPEECH DOWN: “HI, MY NAME IS SO AND SO...I'M A ( ) IN .... “ THEN, GO TO THE GIVE INSTEAD OF TAKE THEME.

(B) FIRST, TRY INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO OTHER ATTENDEES NOT SPEAKING WITH ANYONE ELSE (THIS IS THE EASIEST APPROACH);

(C) SECOND, TRY INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO GROUPS OF TWO. IF YOU ARE AT A TRUE NETWORKING EVENT, PEOPLE WILL BE OPEN TO YOUR APPROACH;

(D) AVOID GROUPS (i) WITH THEIR BACK TO YOU; (ii) MUCH OLDER THAN YOU; OR, (iii) WHO IGNORE YOUR PRESENCE IN THE FIRST MINUTE OR TWO THAT YOU ARE STANDING THERE TRYING TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF - THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT INTERESTED IN NETWORKING.

(E) IF YOU APPEAR TO BE THE TARGET MAKE IT EASY FOR SOMEONE TO APPROACH YOU. LET YOUR PERIPHERAL VISION PICK UP PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SPEAKING WITH YOU AND INVITE THEM INTO YOUR CONVERSATION BY (i) INTERRUPTING YOUR CONVERSATION; (ii) INTRODUCING YOURSELF; (iii) ADVISING THE NEWCOMER OF THE TOPIC OF THE CONVERSATION; AND (iv) INTRODUCING THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.

6. IF SOMEONE IS TRYING TO BREAK INTO YOUR GROUP, DO NOT KEEP YOUR BACK TO THEM, PERMIT THEM INTO THE CONVERSATION - PAUSE FOR INTRODUCTIONS AT AN APPROPRIATE MOMENT BUT OPEN THE CIRCLE TO INVITE THEM IN.

7. TRY NOT TO USE A NETWORKING EVENT AS A CATCH UP WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES YOU ALREADY KNOW – JUST A QUICK HI SHOULD BE ENOUGH.

8. AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD (ABOUT 15 MINUTES) INTRODUCE THE PERSON WHO HAS JUST JOINED YOU TO ANOTHER PERSON IN THE ROOM AND MOVE ON TO YOUR NEXT TARGET. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEONE ELSE, THE TWO OF YOU APPROACH THE NEXT TARGET TOGETHER.

9. WALK AWAY WITH ONE BUSINESS CARD PER 15 MINUTES OF NETWORKING TIME EXPENDED.

10. FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP.

NETWORKING TAKES PRACTICE AND A THICK SKIN. BUT IT WORKS BEST WHEN YOU ARE CLEARLY INTERESTED IN HELPING THE OTHER PERSON BUILD THEIR BUSINESS - THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU FOR IT.

BONUS RULE – IF SOMEONE WAS A JERK TO YOU DURING THE PROCESS….THEY’RE PROBABLY A JERK – NEXT!

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