Working the Room:
When you’ve plucked up the courage to eventually go to a Networking Event, many experts will tell you to ‘Work the Room’ This is not something you should be doing! Do you want your new networking colleagues to feel they’ve been worked? It’s not that the experts are trying to get you into trouble; they just sometimes don’t stop to think what they are saying. As has been said in other articles business networking is not about ‘working the room’ or ‘working people’, it’s about building relationship that are mutually beneficial.
Networking is about building a network of people you know and trust – and who know and trust you.
So, stop working the room and start building those relationships.
And the next time some “expert” tells you to work the room – tell them. “I didn’t come here for the room. I want to connect with people.”
Approaching Others:
So, how do you go about approaching individuals and groups of people, most of whom seem to know everyone already and are having more fun than you are.
Make eye contact and smile (that’s the easy bit), but how do you actually make an approach and start talking?
Why not try the direct approach to an individual who is standing on their own? Walk up to someone who is on their own and say something like, “Hi, do you mind if I join you? I’m Paul.”
Usually, they are as nervous as you are and are thankful that someone has taken the trouble to speak with them. It’s very unlikely they’ll respond by saying: “No, go away!” The response will be a smile and they’ll say, “Please do, I’m Nicole (or Agnes or John etc.).”
Ask what it is that they do and your conversation is up and running.
There will be many groups of people standing around – they’ll be either ‘open groups’, or ‘closed groups’.
Look for ‘open twos and threes’ groups of people. These will be people standing slightly apart at an angle to each other instead of facing each other directly.
This posture generally means that they are (usually) happy for others to join in the conversation.
Just approach them and stand at the edge of the circle, they’ll open up to let you in. Listen to the conversation for a while and then you can slowly join in.
Don’t go bursting in, waving your business cards all over the place. It won’t win you any friends.
Closed groups are people who are standing face to face and are obviously in deep discussion – it is best not to interrupt them.
Remember- everyone is there to meet someone new. They want to talk to you and will be happy for you to approach them.