Making the Most of Opportunities to Connect

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Conferences and networking events provide an unprecedented opportunity to connect with like-minded people, potential business partners, mentors and even people who’ll become lifelong friends. Make sure you’re in the best position to make those connections by being aware of how you make your best connections.

What helps you have a really good conversation? Do you need to be well-rested and decently nourished? Remember to eat well and sleep well! Will you feel more confident if you have a well-crafted elevator pitch? Then practice it! Will you be most comfortable if you have someone by your side to help you make introductions? If so, arrange for that.

Arrange for whatever you need to put yourself in the best position to feel confident and comfortable engaging in real conversations. If you work to connect with fifty people but don’t have a meaningful conversation until the fifty-first person, that one person is worth more than the previous fifty. You can feel successful if you’ve made three good, solid connections.

Prepare to talk about yourself, your career or your business, and please prepare to listen. If you dominate conversations and focus only on your work and projects, you’ll miss many opportunities. You might be surprised to find that your goals can be accomplished by listening to someone else’s story. You may discover an incredible resource by being a good listener, or someone who will become an incredible resource down the road. You might also find that you’re the answer they’re looking for, and that’s certainly a meaningful outcome, too.

Be willing to embrace opportunities for connections as they arise. During an online conference, work to gather contact information with other attendees. And be diligent about following up. Emails, Zoom meetings, phone calls, and coffee meetups are all essential parts of a post conference experience. This requires flexibility. On all fronts, go with the flow.