Project Exponential

Tag: networking

  • 14 tips to make your next conference worthwhile

    1. Ask if you can help.
    2. Better yet, email in advance and offer your services.
    3. Do your homework. Learn about the speaker, the attendees, the presentation.
    4. Don’t sit next to someone you know.
    5. Ask a question — everyone will know who you are.
    6. Ask only one question. Don’t be THAT guy.
    7. They are business cards, not playing cards. Distribute sparingly.
    8. Take advantage of the breaks. Chat with fellow attendees. Ask why they’re there.
    9. Organize a dinner and pass out invites during lunch.
    10. Hang out by the food table. Eat last.
    11. Don’t hound the speaker. Send an email three days later with something you learned.
    12. Stay an extra night after the conference ends. Set up coffee dates. Plan a sightseeing tour.
    13. Embrace the unexpected. Don’t over-schedule. Impulse and serendipity are good things.
    14. Graciousness and appreciation cannot be overstated.

  • Who are you looking for?

    There are lots of people in this world, and most of us want to connect. We visit bars, churches, gyms, groups, conferences, events, concerts, and parties hoping to meet someone who might send our world into a tailspin and infuse our life with new meaning.

    We look for ways to deepen our existing relationships and simultaneously want to expand our network, expose ourselves to new options, and find different ways of doing things. We want to become better.

    As business professionals, we attend seminars hoping to interact with someone who can offer insight into our work and challenge our beliefs. We sign up for groups, add ourselves to lists, fill our calendars with coffee dates, and comb our friends’ friends for people who might add value to our world.

    With so many people looking, why are so many failing?

    I recently spoke to a very charming, engaging entrepreneur who attended an expertly planned conference. Top players in international policy dappled the schedule, and high-profile keynotes lectured every hour. From the get-go, testimonials gushed all of the wonderfulness of the event, and sign-up sheets offered prime opportunities for attendees to market their businesses. Yet a very eager impresario walked away feeling like something was missing. Despite an impeccable schedule, he didn’t feel he had the opportunity to connect with others.

    Information gleaned from speakers is surely helpful, inspiring, informative, but what’s the most valuable aspect of an event? Relationships. Think about the expertise in the room, just waiting to be accessed.

    Yes, it can be difficult to strum up conversations in professional environments. It isn’t easy to approach strangers and put yourself on the line. It’s hard to be vulnerable.

    How often do you step outside of your comfort zone?

    What if you found yourself in a situation in which you didn’t know what to expect? You’re not sure who is going to be there, what you’re getting yourself into. Would the connections be different?

    What if the only thing you knew is that you wanted to take something meaningful from the experience? What if you approached your life that way?

  • What’s the dress code?

    A commonly asked question, no matter what kind of event. The answer is usually simple:

    Dress how you’d want to represent yourself.

    By asking, “What is everyone else going to wear? What is acceptable?” think of the position you’re placing yourself in. Are you wanting to see if you’re most comfortable shoes, the ones that have taken you across continents and through cities, would be appropriate? Did you want to sport your oldest, most worn (most comfortable!) jeans to a meet a group of strangers? Were you really considering renting a tuxedo or digging that gown out of the closet?

    Are you worried you’ll stand out? Or are you hoping to sneak by? Are you afraid of looking “too nice” and separating yourself from the crowd in that way?

    As much as our teen selves and our inner rebels hate to admit, what we wear and the way we wear it communicates bits of our personality and what we stand for. Our clothes and our appearance is the easiest way a stranger can assesses us, and it is often the first thing we’re judged by when we first make contact.

    Recently, I attended an event where I watched a couple who went “all out” — yes, complete with costumes — easily start conversations and move with ease around the room. Their dress served as a flag, signaling to other guests that they were ready to meet and mingle and share ideas. It worked.

    So really, does it matter what the dress code is? Instead, think about:

    How do I want to represent myself in this situation?

    What would make me feel most confident when I enter? When I’m introduced?

    Do I want to fit in?

    Or do I want to stand out?

  • Are you just as intentional offline?

    Social media platforms are ideal networking resources, places to find like-minded individuals and spark creative rainstorms. Brands and customers and clients and students and businesses can deepen experiences.

    1. Customers can voice the impact products have in their lives.
    2. Contests engage audiences.
    3. Features demonstrate the breadth and reach of services.
    4. Employee knowledge can be showcased.
    5. Range of expertise is amplified.
    6. Employee investment propels company value, as people care more and are held accountable for their words.
    7. Really good community organizers act as matchmakers, connecting environments and individuals.

    Our interconnectedness has made it that much easier to collaborate with other key players and start dialogue with those who might otherwise be out of reach. The opportunities are seemingly endless, accessible, immediate—yours for the taking.

    But it doesn’t stop online.

    Don’t forget about what’s waiting for you once the laptop closes and you power your device down.