How to network at your first in-person event

In-person networking can be a bit overwhelming, especially when it’s your first time. Unlike with LinkedIn, you don’t have all the time in the world to figure out what message you’re going to write next – you’re faced with real-world, real-time socialising, and that requires a certain preparation and confidence. 

Knowing what to expect and how to prepare can make a massive difference. From setting goals to following up on leads, this is how you can approach networking for the first time in a relatively non-stressful way.

Set goals

When attending an in-person networking event, it’s crucial that you recognise how limited your time there will be. To make sure that you’re happy with your achievements in these fast-paced, relatively high-stress scenarios, you need to go in knowing exactly what it is that you actually want to achieve.

Your goals could be relatively general, such as trying to meet as many new faces in your industry as possible. They could also be highly specific, such as finding a business partner to help you with a very niche logistical issue.

Regardless of what your goals are, it is massively beneficial to clarify what it is that you’re trying to achieve by networking, so that you can target your approach and measure your success in the aftermath.

Prepare

Successful at your first in-person networking,  you need to make sure that you’re prepared to meet your goals. If you’re going to a trade show to represent your business, then you will likely need an exhibition stand from a company like Focal Exhibitions.

On the other hand, if you’re just going as an individual, representing your own interests and hoping to meet relevant people in your industry, then you’ll need to focus on getting yourself looking sharp and honing some smart talking points.

Following up

While networking events are a great way to meet people, it’s critically important that you follow up with any contacts that you’ve made in the days and weeks after your attendance.  Meeting someone face to face is a great way to make a first impression, but it’s not enough to solidify a relationship.

A lot of professionals will meet quite literally hundreds or even thousands of people in their sector every year, and it’s crucial that you capitalise on that initial impression that you made.

Make sure that you both hand out your own contact details and get the contact details of anyone that you want to initiate a Professional relationship with. Set aside some time soon after the event, so that your message arrives while the memory of your in-person interaction is still fresh.

Networking at your first in-person event can feel a little bit daunting, but with the right preparation, it needn’t be too difficult at all. By clarifying exactly why it is that you’re attending these kinds of events, preparing for the event itself, and then following up with any leads or contacts that you’ve made, you can maximise the chances that you get exactly what you want out of attending the event.

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