Social media is hot.
Everyone is talking
about Facebook,
Twitter, and every
other social media site
under the sun.
These are great tools
for building and
maintaining
relationships. But they
aren't everything.
When it comes to
developing powerful
relationships, social
media is still no
substitute for old-
fashioned, face-to-face
networking.
In-person networking is
simply one of the best
activities you can
engage in for your
career or your business,
hands down.
Anyone who thinks
they can stay behind
their computer, holed
away at home, relying
100% on social media
for meeting people and
developing key
relationships is fooling
themselves.
In fact, the most
effective networking
approach today is
twofold: one part online,
and one part old-
fashioned, face-to-face,
in-person networking.
They are two sides of
the same coin.
A good networking
plan does not rely too
much on either online or
offline networking, but
does include aspects of
both.
How Face-to-
Face Networking
Is Different
Face-to-face
networking is very
different from social
networking. For
starters, you'll actually
need to put on pants.
Sorry, but this is a
mandatory requirement.
If you work from home,
that means you may
need to change out of
your pajamas (hopefully
it's not the first time in
days).
I recognize that
networking at in-person
events is more difficult
for those who are shy
or introverted.
However, there are
many little "hacks" you
can use to make face-
to-face networking
easier on yourself,
whether you are
introverted or not.
Here are a 5 killer hacks
for networking
effectively at old-
fashioned, in-person
events:
1. Commit Yourself
to Helping Others.
Before you go to any
networking event, I
want you to summon
your most positive, can-
do, helpful attitude, and
I want you to not even
think about getting
clients, customers, or a
new job. For some
people, this may seem
completely counter-
intuitive. After all, isn't
the whole point of
networking to get more
business or to further
your career?
The truth is, if you go
into an in-person
networking event just
thinking about yourself,
people will sniff you out
in a heartbeat. You'll
stand out more than
Bugs Bunny dressed
up as a girl .
Conversely, if you
commit yourself to
helping others in any
way possible - be it a
restaurant
recommendation, or a
tech tip, or a book
suggestion - you will be
more human and people
will want to help you in
return.
Here's the "hack" part -
after your event, email
at least 1 or 2 people
you met at the event
with a tip, advice,
resource, or some other
way to help, based on
what you learned about
them. This one little
step will go a long way.
2. Make An
Introduction. I love
introducing people. If
you introduce two
people and they hit it
off, they will always be
grateful to you. Trust
me on this - my parents
first met on a blind
date.
And people who you
have introduced to
someone else are more
likely to return the
favor. This works even
with people you just
met at an in-person
networking event.
3. Connect with
People Over their
Families. You know
that saying, "the
easiest way to a man's
heart is through his
stomach"? Well, I
believe the easiest way
to a networking
partner's heart is
through their immediate
family members.
At most networking
events, people talk
about work-related or
industry-related
subjects. That's what
everyone else does, but
you don't need to do
that. You can really
distinguish yourself by
talking about a person's
spouse or family, if you
get the right
opportunity.
If you just met
someone and start
asking about a person's
family without the
proper opening, they're
probably just going to
think you're a weirdo.
But if you do get an
opening, then asking
about a person's family
and looking for
opportunities to help
their children or spouse
is an excellent hack for
getting to know them a
lot better.
4. If You Are Shy or
Introverted, Focus
on Others. I get asked
a lot about what advice
I have for people who
really hate networking
because they are shy or
introverted. If you are
really shy and don't like
meeting new people,
then the best advice I
can give you is that the
best
conversationalists
often don't talk
much at all.
People love talking
about themselves, and
if you ask a lot of
questions and take a lot
of interest in them, you
don't have to be a good
conversationalist. Most
people will enjoy the
opportunity to speak
about themselves to a
captive audience. And
they will enjoy speaking
with you.
5. Use the 80/20
Rule for Following
Up. If you were to
measure the amount of
time most people spend
on networking activities
aimed at meeting new
people vs. the amount
of time they spend
following up with the
people they already
know, you'd be shocked
at how imbalanced it is.
People spend too much
time trying to meet
new people and too
little time following up
with and nurturing
relationships with
people they already
know.
In fact, your efforts
should be the other
way around: use the
80/20 rule (aka the
Pareto Principle) to
further and develop
relationships with your
existing network.
This in turn will lead to
meeting new people
because people who
you already know are
more likely to be a
gateway for you to
their friends and
connections.
After all, you have
already spent time and
energy getting to know
people in your network
and they have already
(presumably) grown to
know, like and trust
you.
So be sure to spend
time and energy
networking with people
who are in your
network already.
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