FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

Prepare to be Remembered

A couple of my friends were discussing networking experiences, here are some of the tips that we came up with:
First Impressions: you only get to make this once, so make sure it is concrete and memorable. Shake the person’s hand with enough pumps up and down to register the color of the person’s eyes. Once learning the person’s name, use it right away to have a better chance of remembering it.
After Hello: Most conversations at a mixer or after first meeting someone is ’small talk’, but don’t under estimate the power of ’small talk’ – it is like the grease that keeps the wheel turning. Memorize a few tidbits of information that are appropriate for ’small talk’, including the nature of your business, number of years in business, and where your main interests lie.
Moving On: Often at a mixer you will only speak to a person for a few minutes and then want to speak to someone else to make as many connections as possible. If you are moving away from someone you would like to speak with in the future, this is the perfect opportunity to exchange business cards and contact information. If there is another person wanting to join the conversation, invite them in, make an introduction, allow the two to talk, and then move on. Because you don’t want to be the person who needs to be encouraged to move along, be careful to watch other people’s cues and pay attention to behavior going on around you.

What networking tips do you have to share with everyone?