First things first: know what\u2019s going on during the conference. The schedule will give you an idea of the kinds of people who will be attending the event, as well as the topics of conversation that will be most prevalent. This will help you to decide who you want to talk to and how you\u2019ll approach them. If you want to talk to researchers, for example, you might have a better shot at connecting with them on the second day of the conference when they\u2019re discussing their findings. If you\u2019re looking to network with marketing professionals, you might have more luck finding them at the networking events on the first day of the conference. Knowing what\u2019s happening at the conference will help you to strategize for how and when you want to network.<\/p> Don\u2019t be afraid to talk to strangers<\/strong><\/p> There\u2019s a common misconception that networking requires you to talk to people you don\u2019t know and therefore makes you feel anxious and uncomfortable. For many people, however, the opposite is true: they\u2019re anxious about talking to people they do know. In fact, you\u2019re going to make yourself less visible at a conference if you just stick to talking to people you already know. In fact, since you\u2019re not in your day-to-day environment, it\u2019s even more important to talk to people you don\u2019t know at conferences. You never know who might be able to help you out in the future, or who might have connections that could help you advance your career. If you\u2019re feeling nervous about talking to strangers at the conference, try talking to the people sitting next to you at the conference dinner or drinks. You\u2019re in a safe, social setting\u2014which is the perfect time to meet new people with potentially helpful connections.<\/p> Bring business cards<\/strong><\/p> Even though it may sound old-fashioned, having business cards with you at a conference is still a great idea. For one thing, it\u2019s a great way to make sure you have something to give to the people you meet. It\u2019s also a surefire way to make sure the people you meet know how to get in touch with you in the future. There are plenty of apps that allow you to create a virtual business card, but nothing is quite as authentic as a real business card in your pocket. Even though many people have transitioned to virtual contact information, it\u2019s still important to have a physical card to give out. Just exchange cards and say something like, \u201cIf you ever need [something that the person you\u2019re talking to does], let me know.\u201d<\/p> Have an elevator pitch ready<\/strong><\/p> What\u2019s an elevator pitch? It\u2019s the quick spiel you give to someone when you\u2019re in an elevator with them and they ask what you do. It\u2019s important to have an elevator pitch ready to go when you\u2019re at a conference, but there are a few things you should keep in mind when you\u2019re creating it. First, your elevator pitch should be targeted. You don\u2019t want to give a general overview of your company or career when you\u2019re talking to someone\u2014you want to give them something specific. Elevator pitches are often one-sentence long, and they are usually focused on one specific thing. A good elevator pitch should be short and memorable, and answer the question, \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d For example, you might give the following elevator pitch: \u201cI\u2019m a social media manager at an advertising agency, and I specialize in helping brands transition from TV advertising to digital.\u201d<\/p> Networking is a numbers game<\/strong><\/p> This point ties into the idea of having an elevator pitch: you want to make sure you\u2019re talking to a lot of people. You never know whom you might meet at a conference, and you never know how your conversation with someone could benefit you in the future. By talking to as many people as you can, you increase your chances of meeting someone who can help you out in some way. If you\u2019re in a roomful of 50 people, you should be talking to at least 20 of them. If you\u2019re in a roomful of 500 people, you should be talking to 100 of them. It\u2019s also important to remember that networking is all about building relationships. You don\u2019t want to just talk to people and then walk away; try to maintain a connection with the people you meet. Remember: networking isn\u2019t just about how you act at the conference, it\u2019s about how you follow up with people afterward.<\/p> Go to panels and talks<\/strong><\/p> This is perhaps the most overlooked way to network at conferences. Most people only think about what happens before the conference and during the conference itself. This ends up being a huge missed opportunity. Most panels and talks at conferences feature experts in the field who can be excellent networking contacts for you. You might ask yourself, \u201cWhy would an expert want to talk to me?\u201d The answer is that most experts would be thrilled to talk to anyone who genuinely wants to talk to them. Experts who give talks at conferences are often there because they love what they do and they want to talk about it. If you attend a panel or a talk, don\u2019t just sit in the back row and hope that the person on stage will notice you.<\/p> Networking doesn\u2019t end at the conference<\/strong><\/p> This is a huge mistake that many people make. They attend a conference, exchange business cards with 20 people and then wait until the next conference rolls around to start contacting their new contacts. Waiting until the next conference to start networking with the people you meet at the current conference will put you at a disadvantage. You should start contacting the people you meet at a conference as soon as possible. It can be helpful to keep a spreadsheet or an excel file where you can keep track of the people you meet and the dates on which you contacted them. You should be contacting people as soon as possible so that you can be ahead of the game when you actually need to ask for a favor from them. If you wait until the next conference to contact people, you\u2019ll find that many of them will have forgotten who you are.<\/p> Conclusion<\/strong> Networking at conferences can be intimidating, but it doesn\u2019t have to be. By keeping these tips in mind, you\u2019ll be able to navigate the conference floor and build valuable connections with people. Remember: networking doesn\u2019t have to be an interruption to your day. It can actually be an enjoyable experience in and of itself.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Networking is perhaps the most crucial element of a successful career in any industry. How you network, however, matters just as much as how often you do it. This article […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"how](\"https:\/\/conference2go.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/product-school-nOvIa_x_tfo-unsplash-1-min-1024x683.jpg\")
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