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Speed networking is all the rage right now. It helps people break the ice with strangers at otherwise awkward networking events and it forces us to skip the small talk and get to what’s important: How can we help each other out?
Whether you’re participating in an online speed-networking event—like on Network Roulette—or in person at a meet up, the experience can be daunting at first. It’s not the kind of networking that we’re all used to, but it can be both effective and fun if you follow a few simple rules.
Use your time wisely.
Your conversations with each new connection are kept short and sweet so you can meet a lot of different people. On Network Roulette, you only have THREE minutes to make your connection. Don’t spend your time with long introductions or niceties such as “Hello, how are you?”, “Nice to meet you,” etc. Get straight to business by asking “How can I help you?”
Know what you need and what you have to offer. Don’t be vague.
Go into each speed networking event that you attend with what you want to get out of it in mind. On Network Roulette, we provide you with ‘Looking/Providing’ fields that you should always fill out before the event. Fill these fields out every time. They’ll force you to stay focused and make sure that you and your random match know instantly if there is potential to help each other.
Don’t be afraid to pass.
Let’s be realistic. You’re not always going to be matched with the perfect person. If you are matched up with someone who does not seem like a good connection, don’t be afraid to move on. Your time is valuable, and so is theirs. Thank them for their time and move on to the next match.
Be a connector.
You may not be able to help everyone but you probably know someone else who can. If you think that a person you have been matched with would be valuable so someone else in your network, introduce them. People with love you for introducing quality people to them and being likable is an important trait for every networker to have.
Be authentic.
“Say what really interests you, not what you think should interest you,” says Sarah Peck, Brazen community leader.
Always follow up.
The biggest mistake that people make is not following up. It means you’ve wasted your time. Go into every speed networking event that you attend understanding that the quick conversations you are having are only the beginning. Building a strong, long-lasting relationship with another professional requires more than that.
If you’re speed networking on Network Roulette, follow up by becoming a Fan of the person you connected with. When they fan you back, exchange private messages. Or you can just exchange emails during your 3-minute chat.
Just don’t wait until there are 10 seconds left to do it!
Now that you're well on your way to being the World's Greatest Speed Networker, you may want to sign up for one of these upcoming Network Roulette events:
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Comments
01.12.11
Great stuff. Being authentic and following up is so incredibly key. We're going to link to this article on The 405 Club. Hope that's ok!
01.12.11
I have a question regarding the importance of business cards. What do you include, and how do you market yourself on a business card when you are currently unemployed?
01.12.11
Thanks for including us on the 405 Club, Garrett!
@Justin: You should be marketing yourself based on the value that you think you would bring to a company. Be creative. Having additional online resources, like a blog, could really help you, too.
This is a good question to ask some of the experts in our Ask a Coach group: http://www.brazencareerist.com/network/ask-a-coach
01.12.11
Sage advice, Berrak!
One thing I'd add is that you have to go into a speed networking (or any type for that matter) with certain expectations. For example, if you are going to a general networking event (like Community Karma), then a 10% success rate might be good (success being either you or the other person you spoke to can help each other *directly*). So if in an hour's time you meet 20 people, expect 2 of them to be a match, more or less. You can't be everything to everyone, nor vice versa.
The success rate probably goes down if you are providing/looking for something very specific.
01.12.11
Justin, from http://hushrecruiter.com/uncategorized/job-searching-in-a-coffee-shop, order free business cards – Vistaprint is a good place to get them. Your job title on the card is the job title that you want; just make sure you’re email doesn’t scream out idiot… And please pick a simple design – play with the color if you choose but don’t select a style that goes against the industry or job title you’re targeting.
01.16.11
Follow up, follow up, FOLLOW UP! This is a step that too many people overlook. It's more than the conversation.
Great article. Here's one that compliments this well: 11 Rules for Networking http://bit.ly/g2SDE6. I'd love to know your thoughts!
Keep up the great work!
Kirk Baumann
www.campus-to-career.com
01.16.11
Helpful tips Kirk!
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