Are you enjoying the rides in ‘Networking Disneyland’?
For participating in a conference you need to invest your time, your efforts and your money. You want to get the best results out of the conference and maximize the building relationship opportunities.
In my last blog last week, I compared a conference or a networking event to “a Networking Disneyland”. See my explanation in my previous blog.
Like Disneyland, I want you to enjoy the rides. I want you to use every opportunity to interact. I want you to learn to maximize your results from attending conferences. And build sincere relationship with other attendees. How do you do it? In my last blog I shared with you the first 5 tips (see there for more explanation):
1. Prepare, Research and Decide;
2. Know your value and share it;
3. Opportunity in every corner;
4. Remember people contacts;
5. Broaden your Horizons.
Let me continue and share with you few more interesting ideas and tips to build better results from conferences and networking events:
6. Enjoy the social side of the conference. I always claimed: ‘People bond when they having fun’. Many people avoid or feel guilty about participating at the social part of the conference. They are afraid for their professional image. As many of you know a lot of conferences organized in very special or exotic locations. So why not use this special background to enjoy, relax and share these special moments with other attendees. These fun joyful moments can bond you with others and build relationship, sometimes more than the knowledge sharing sessions themselves. Of course, one warning word, you should never go wild and get drunk. Since then you will definitely create the opposite results.
7. The missing link. You know that you and other attendees share the same interests, since you all participating in the same event. So make yourself a rule – always to discover and find the missing link is between you and the other attendee. Follow up this common link (and using it in your follow up emails) is an important component for building relationship.
8. Heart full of Grace. Serving other people is one of the simple things you can do to connect genuinely with others. Try to be of service to other attendees you meet in a conference, be it on a personal or professional level. Try to find ways you can help them with their needs. Power networking means being helpful to others.
9. Act. Correct. Act. A common mistake of a lot of people is that they wait to learn about the results they achieved during the conference only after the conference ended. In order to get the best results from the conference, try to find at least twice a day during the conference to reflect on your discussions and meeting with other attendees (if you are in a conference with your partner or a colleague, try to do it also once a day together with them). Reflect on your accomplishments so far and learn what can you improve in your next meeting. Sometimes, you still have the time to re-connect with somebody you met in order to change the results or get additional results. It always more powerful to share a message with a person face-to-face than by phone or an email.
10. Reflect and Learn. Be honest with yourself – how much do you invest in reviewing the activities in the conference and the results? What do you include in your review? How to you capture your lessons for future conferences? You need to include in every investment in a conference, also investment in time after the conference to review the results and to measure them compare to your goals and objectives. Luck of efforts to review your success and results, will have direct influence on your success in the next conference.
11. Follow up. I was asked many times when I train firms and business executives about ways of follow up after a conference – ‘how long after the conference you need to call somebody you met for a follow up?’. Although some people suggest specific times, I always ask the question – ‘do you have a schedule at home when do you follow up with your which friend on which day? Or with you family members?’ I hope not. I believe that follow up is very much a subjective action. You need to know what kind of relationship you start building with the other person and how much do you think he remember you? You surely need to follow up. Follow up will build your credibility and put you in other people’s minds. Make the follow up a unique and memorable experience. Do yourself a favor – do not be lazy and do the follow up yourself. Remember, nobody else was there and know exactly what you have discussed with the other person except yourself. It will definitely be appreciated.
12. Build relationships. Maybe I should have it as number 1. Most of the people attending a conference with a clear objective to build and maintain relationship. But many of them forgot that relationships require investment and it takes time. In a conference you can start the first sparkle of the relationship, but you will need to continue and nurture it. Building relationship is a responsibility and consistency of hard work and efforts. But it does worth every moment of it. With time, you will be able to build sincere relationship with other people in a shorter time using the effective Attentional Networking tools and ideas.
Do you have any additional tactics that you use to enjoy a conference and maximize the results? Share with me, I will be happy to learn new ideas.
Seeing my international clients become successful based on the work we have done together is one of the greatest rewards of my work. I work with my clients one on one, in groups (in-house training) and through online programs. In my capacity as a keynote speaker, trainer, seminar leader, author, power networker I help continually my clients to grow their business and their global reach by using the effective attentional networking and business development tools.
Are you interested to learn how I can help you maximize your results in the next event?
Contact me to discuss tailored ideas for your specific needs!
