Going to a networking event where you don’t know anyone can be daunting. At the Risky Women / Kroll program, Janet Falk spoke about “pre-event marketing” to connect in advance with the officers of the organization hosting the event. An attendee asked how to manage the situation when you don’t have the opportunity to “build a Welcoming Committee” (see below) and you spontaneously decide to attend a networking event.
Here are some ideas:
- At the Registration desk, ask for the names of the officers of the host organization and request that they be pointed out to you, so you may approach them.
- In a conversation with another attendee, say, “Now that you know a little about me, who do you think I should talk with here,” and ask them to introduce you or to point that person out to you.
- Use the 1-2-3 method: Find a person standing alone and approach them.
- Find two people talking who are positioned in a way that you can join the conversation. That is, they are standing in a semi-circle, with an opening for you. If they are face to face like this 1:1, they are closing themselves off in a private conversation.
- In a group of three, stand near the cluster and raise your arm. Others will make room for you to enter the circle.
Head to Janet’s web site for further info Three Lessons to Improve Your Networking Success – Janet L. FALK (janetlfalk.com)