This is the season of conferences which can be incredibly intellectually stimulating but emotionally exhausting. And if you’re one of those people that feel like you’d rather have a root canal than walk into a room of 300 strangers at a networking event, well then this Fearless in 5 is for you.
Expanding your network is one of the most powerful things you can do to accelerate growth in your business and your career overall. So rather than avoiding eye contact by staring at your device or faking a phone call, putting your back to the minglers while you hover over the cheese board, follow these five steps.
Step #1: Be curious. If the main stage speech has just wrapped up, then be prepared to ask the first person that you see what did they find most valuable. Or you could ask them what did they learn that they will apply to their business the next day. And be prepared with your own POV on that.
Step #2: Keep up on current events. Check out the latest news and be prepared to ask their perspective about one interesting topic. But please make sure it’s not political.
Step #3. Think of the rule of three. Only approach a group with three people who are talking. Research shows that it’s easiest to infiltrate a group of three.
Step #4: Bring a friend. Hitting the cocktail hour where you know no one is so much less intimidating when you have an ally. You’ll meet exponentially more people if you tag team those introductions, because guess what? There is power in numbers.
Step #5: Smile. Research also shows that people gravitate towards friendly faces.
I promise you that your next networking event will be far less painful if you follow these steps. And if you have some suggestions on how you make networking events really productive for you, please share them in the comments below. And if you want to learn more about how you can be fearless check out more Fearless in 5 at Wet Cement at wet-cement.com.