Feature Story
Be the Networking King
Many entrepreneurs avoid networking events, but the relationships that can be forged are crucial.
By Colin Kelly Jr.
I have a vivid memory of attending my first business-networking event nearly 10 years ago — I hardly knew anyone at the event, was too shy to strike up a conversation and ended up aimlessly stumbling about the room trying to blend in without standing out.
The experience eerily paralleled my first Jr. high school dance in 7th grade — I hardly knew anyone at the school, was too shy to ask a girl to dance and ended up aimlessly mucking about the gym trying to blend in without standing out.
Over time, I became much better at working a room, introducing myself and carrying on conversations with total strangers.
Now many years later, I truly value all of the contacts, contracts and relationships that came thanks to my hard work at networking events over the years.
I still have problems asking a girl to dance however, but that's for another article entirely.
As a young entrepreneur, building relationships is crucial. Networking at various events is a great way to get exposed to new contacts and potential customers. Below are some networking tips and good reasons to network in person. Remember as with anything, you'll get better with practice and learn from your mistakes.
No Substitute for Face Time
In this e-mailing, instant messaging, texting, poking and Twitter tweeting, digitally flattened world, why do we even bother to leave the office anymore?
Admit it, you've already given up spelling out "what's gwan" in normal communication haven't you? As pay back, you owe it to the rest of the world to get out there and interact with other professionals in a proper verbal fashion before your speech patterns de-evolve as well.
You just can't beat one-on-one, face-to-face interaction when it comes to understanding someone and building relationships. Sorry, but body language and speech inflections just don't come through as well over Skype.
Polish the Company Pitch
Compose and memorize a 15-second, two-sentence elevator pitch. Most people can't distill their life, company or product down into two simple sentences basic enough for any layperson to grasp. If you have a short and simple elevator pitch on demand, you have a huge advantage because, let's face it, most people lose interest after just a few seconds of talking to you anyway. Memorize your elevator pitch but be able to recite it with verve, not like you're reading from a script.
Speaking of elevator pitches, do you have your personal branding elevator pitch down pat? Remember, your networking contacts may one day help you find your next job so let people know who you are and how you shine. Know why you are valuable to an employer and be able to state it in two sentences or less.
Don't Sound Stupid
Spend 10 minutes a day reading, listening to or watching some news. With all of the sources on the Internet and simple ways to collect and absorb news (RSS readers for example), you have no excuse for not being up on current events and timely business topics. Not only does knowing something about the topic at hand make for good small talk, but you'll also find it's a great way to insert yourself into various conversations and stand out in a crowd.
Watch Out for Crazy
Every event has that one guy who's looking for $75 million in pre-revenue seed money and trying to decide between developing a flying car or building an amusement park on his mother-in-law's 2-acre ranch. Be nice, but then quickly move on before you're trapped in a 15-minute circular conversation about thrust-to-weight ratios. "So, why would someone want a parachute again?"
Don't Be Afraid
Go ahead, walk up to a total stranger and introduce yourself. He or she wouldn't be at the event if she or he didn't want to meet people. Don't worry, if you bore them, they'll find an excuse to leave.
Stop Your Yap and Listen for a Change
Any good salesperson will extol the virtue of listening to a client's problems instead of preaching solutions. The same holds true with networking. If you listen and then mentally process what's going on with the person you are talking to before running off at the mouth, you'll understand that person better and make them feel important.
Ask for Introductions
It's generally quite acceptable to ask the event organizer for key introductions. Some networking events even publish the attendee list online in advance so you can see who's coming. If there's someone you know you want to meet at the event, make it your first priority to track them down. More often than not, if you want until the end of the event, you won't have time to find and meet the individual before he or she leaves.
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Networking Etiquette: It's all in the eye contact and handshake
Ellen Reddick, owner and partner of Impact Factory (www.impactfactoryutah.com), a certified protocol and etiquette training company, offers the following tips when networking:
Introduce Yourself
Be brave. Most people will appreciate that you've taken the initiative to speak to them. I recommend always introducing yourself with both your first and last name, company affiliation without any titles or honorifics, and a smile. Make eye contact and smile a warm and friendly smile while saying their name and telling them it is a pleasure to meet them. Everyone likes to hear his or her name and feel appreciated. It is not what you say to people but how you make them feel that counts.
Extend Yourself
Always be quick to extend a hand for a firm and friendly handshake. When it comes to shaking hands, I believe whoever extends their hand first is the winner. It should be you, regardless of being a man or woman.
Good Handshaking Techniques:
>> Always stand (both women and men should stand to shake hands).
>> Always push your hand in all the way to meet web-to-web, with your fingers together, your palm straight out and thumb up.
>> Never give a fingertip hold or short handshake, which is commonly just squeezing the other person's hand short of meeting web-to-web.
>> Remember a good, professional handshake is completed by shaking a woman's hand no differently than a man's hand.
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Utah Networking Events
Below is a listing of just some of Utah's more popular business networking events.
Utah Valley Entrepreneur Forum (UVEF)
UVEF conducts monthly educational and networking meetings including an annual award banquet.
Wayne Brown Institute (WBI)
WBI's quarterly, "How to raise money in Utah" seminars are great way to meet people while learning valuable funding information.
Utah Technology Council (UTC)
UTC holds a wide variety of networking and peer-to-peer meetings each month for its members. UTC's annual Hall of Fame awards program is one of the largest business events each year.
Salt Lake Chamber
The chamber offers many events including the mother of all networking events, the yearly Business-to-Business Expo.
Grow Utah Ventures
As nonprofit organization, Grow Utah Ventures offers many educational and networking events throughout the year for entrepreneurs including the Business Ignitor Series.
Utah First Fridays
The name says it all. On the first Friday of every month you'll find a networking and business growth-oriented meeting.
MountainWest Capital Network (MWCN)
MWCN hosts monthly luncheons related to raising and managing capital in Utah. MWCN's annual Utah 100 program is one of the most well attended business events of the year providing the opportunity to network with hundreds of peers.
Utah Pulse
Utah Pulse maintains an up-to-date event calendar listing most local networking events.
Women Tech Council (WTC)
WTC hosts a number of educational and networking events throughout the year including an annual awards banquet.
Launch - Spring 2009
For text versions of all Spring 2009 articles, visit: www.launchutah.com/q12009-article-list.php
For the full "digital magazine" version of Spring 2009, visit: www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/growutah/launch_2009spring/
