19th February, 2020 • 3 min

Written by Charlotte Duckworth
31st October, 2023 • 3 mins
Our approach to networking events is often haphazard and half-hearted.
We find ourselves arriving at an event we don’t really want to attend, we’re late and we’re not sure who’s going to be there. We walk into the room and people are already talking, we get a drink, check our phone, look at the time and wonder, how quickly is it acceptable to leave…?
Many of us would say that we do not like networking. We sometimes associate it with being pushy, overbearing and inauthentic. It can feel overwhelming to walk into a room of unknowns, we find it draining and disappointing if we leave after a few slightly random conversations. We think “why bother?”
This blog looks at why we should move away from this mindset, sharing strategies to improve our networking approach and a structure to have really valuable conversations.
What counts as networking?
A common misconception is that networking has to involve a big event swarming with people. Of course, this isn’t the case. Networking can include attending roundtables, career and trade fairs, workshops, coffee catch ups and even speed-networking (similar to speed-dating!).
Networking also includes strengthening relationships within your existing network. From a sales perspective, research shows that the probability of making a sale to an existing customer is between 60 and 70%. This drops to 5 to 20% for a new client. We can undervalue the success in uncovering new opportunities within our current connections.
Having said that, there is a strong case for attending events to grow our network and expand our business and job opportunities.
The benefits of networking
Seventy-eight percent of entrepreneurs agree that networking is crucial to startup success. There is mountains of research to show that having a large professional network develops and strengthens knowledge, opportunities for advancement, innovation, as well as business and personal prospects. And thankfully, building your network is a skill that grows with dedication and practice.
Where to start
Improving our approach to networking events starts with a shift in mindset. Two shifts in mindset, in fact.
The first is to move from being interesting, to being interested.
Often we’re worried about what to say and how we present ourselves, when the most valuable action we can take is to actively listen. Approaching the event with curiosity and an open mind, we can see conversations as an opportunity to discover and learn.
The second mindset shift is from what we can take to how we can help.
We try to ‘get something out of it’ when we attend networking events and it can leave us feeling inauthentic. Focusing on how we can help reframes this to what we can offer to others in the form of knowledge, expertise, access or resource.
Your networking approach: The three part process
Before: Preparation
The core takeaway from this preparation stage is to take the time to prepare! Commit to the event and set yourself up for success by doing your research and considering how what you do is relevant and helpful to others.
During: How to open a conversation
The above flow of conversation would be a really positive result and things won’t always come together this way. We usually put too much pressure on winning conversations so instead go to listen, ask questions and learn about the other person. You will have better quality conversations and make a lasting positive impression that may help you in future.
After: Follow up
The rush of life can take over once we leave an event. This also happens to everyone else that attended and sometimes you won’t receive an immediate response but be persistent and set a reminder to reach out again and catch up.
In summary
Networking events are a great way to step out of our comfort zone, meet new people and build new connections for business and personal success. To make the most of networking events:
At Higson we run workshops and training programmes to help individuals and teams to build their network and grow business opportunities. If you would like to learn more strategies to enhance your networking approach please get in touch.