What is the key to successful network? How can you make the most of your networking time?
Having your 30 second pitch is important, but too often in networking situations people are focused so much on what they want to say and saying in 30 seconds or less, they forget to listen to what the other person is say. Image how more effective your networking could be if you stopped and listened, really listened to what the person is tell you.
The next time you’re in at a networking event, try the following:
- Listen: Spend a few seconds listening to not only what the person is saying but how they are saying it. People’s way of expressing ideas and thoughts can give you great insight into how they think and how they need to process information. How is the person you’re talking expressing themselves? Are they talking in details, are they giving out ideas? Are they focused on getting things accomplished? Are they using “I” to begin each statement?
When you become more attuned to how people are saying things, what questions they are asking, you can then adjust yourself to their style.
- Adapt and Adjust: Have a fluent version of your 30 second pitch allows you to adjust it to different types of thinking styles. For example if you realize the person you are speaking to is energized by ideas and possibilities then you might adjust your 30 second pitch as to how you can help them realize something new and exciting. If you are able to determine that person you are talking to is energized by results, then you can position your 30 second pitch to focus on how you can help them achieve better results.
When you adjust yourself and your pitch to the style of the person you talking to you’ll see how more engaged they become in discussing things with you and are keen to follow up further.
- Ask: It’s simple, ask questions to help determine where someone is coming from. They don’t have to be complicated questions but simple questions that will lead you to a better understanding of what’s important to this person and whether or not you should follow up with them. For example asking someone what their biggest challenge is can lead you to a great deal of important information about their business, their thinking styles, and how best to approach them. As well as whether or not you should be following up with this person.
If you don’t ask you’ll never know.
At your next networking event create an open conversation by: 
- Adapt to people
- Adjust your own pitch and
- Ask questions.
Don’t get hung up on the 30 second pitch but focus on getting to understand your new contact and determining what you can do for each other.
This is a key step to transform your networking experiences into RESULTS.
How do you engage people at networking event? What are your biggest challenges? What are you best strategies?
I love to see entrepreneurs follow their passions, serve more people and create the lifestyle of their dreams.
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I love this, Heather. Networking can be so much more effective when we build a relationship, including listening and responding appropriately.
Thanks for the tips! I always feel like I need a “refresher” on networking.
Even though I’ve been bringing my business online, most of my best connections come from in-person networking. Thanks for this informative post.
Hello Heather,
Great post on making connections within your network, obviously you should always be able to adapt to situations as no person is the same so you have to be able to change things. Great value here!
Great advice Heather.
There are a lot of ‘Networkers’ out there doing this right but a lot more doing it wrong! Let’s hope that those who aren’t getting it read helpful information like this so that this industry becomes more admired as years go on.