I have a genuine ability to make a good impression at networking events. The way I do it is by going against the grain - I do the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing.
While everyone is practicing their 30-second self pitch and making sure they have enough business cards for the event, I’m reflecting about what interesting things I’ve done in the past week so that I can tell the people I meet my cool and interesting stories. I NEVER make up a story; instead, I always make sure that I do interesting things during the week so that people will be able to engage in fun conversations with me.
I promise you that if you follow these 5 simple pieces of advice, you will become more memorable at events and at the same time, have much more fun being there:
1. You are not a company
You are a person, a human being that has a personality with a mind of its own. A company always has to worry about its brand image, but more importantly, a company is constantly trying to sell its product or service. Unlike a company, you don’t have to “sell” yourself; your goal is to be interesting and fun.
If you focus on being yourself rather than being a company, you’re going to appear much more relaxed, friendly, and approachable.
2. Go in unprepared
I never research the speaker nor do I check who is going to be at the event. I don’t want to be influenced by any outside information because it can develop a bias in me that makes me lose my cool temperament and relaxation. The key here is to be as approachable as possible. By walking in with a completely clean slate, I force myself to listen carefully to everything that everyone says.
Another great thing about not knowing who the speakers are is that they now have to impress me with their public speaking abilities. If I’m not impressed with them, I probably won’t make the extra effort to meet them. Yes, I know that I may be missing out on some very good connections by not approaching all of the speakers, but I go for quality of the connection rather than the quantity. If I focus on the speaker who impressed me the most, I will have a higher chance of building a connection with him and then meeting up after the event for a follow up meeting.
3. Don’t ask for a business card
I never ask for a business card. My goal is to be so interesting and fun that the person I’m speaking to is compelled to give me his business card to keep in touch with me. If he doesn’t ask for my business card, then I have failed.
By having a “never ask for a business card” policy, I force myself to attract people to me. I force myself to learn how to tell a story that captivates my audience and makes them want to be my connection.
4. Don’t talk about careers
Everyone in the room is talking about their own career. It gets boring and tiresome. No one is going to remember the client you worked on or the internship you had. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s just that people remember how they felt emotionally when speaking to you rather than the facts about you.
I therefore focus on talking about everything except for my career. I tell them about my trip to Peru, about how much I absolutely love blogs and twitter, and about how they can easily pick up surfing if they wanted to.
When they ask you, “So what do you do?” Make sure you give them something that will blow their minds away!
5. Add some flare to a meet up
When meeting up with the person after the event, don’t go for the same old coffee meet-up. Try something new like going for a bike ride or going surfing. I have done both myself. Introduce your contact to something that you are passionate about and you will instantly create a connection that no one else will be able to replicate.
Implement these 5 techniques and you will become the most memorable person at all the events.
Author:
Jun is the Founder and CMO of Future Delivery where he is building Viralogy, the Social Media rank. His personal blog, Become a Young Successful Entrepreneur, gives a real, unfiltered view of the Startup Life so that current and aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his successes and mistakes.
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Anthony,
I have to admit -when I first read this post I had to think about it for some time. It does go “against the grain” of what is out on the shelf of every bookstore and almost every blog you find on networking.
I had to marinate over it and then thought, “do I really want to follow up with people who don’t want to stay connected with me”? We’ve all been to networking events where people are just human card collectors – even garnering cards off of tables so that they can leave the event with a fistful of cards and feel victorious!
Then we get that horribly, non-personal note, email or letter that says “So, good to meet you at this event. Let’s get together soon.” I’ve received those and wondered, who is this?!
In fact, I was NOT at an event once but a colleague of mine had put my business cards on her table displaying her books and someone must of picked it up and I received a letter that stated “darn glad to meet you” yet I wasn’t even there!
Do we really need to send a thank you note to someone who we just met at an event but didn’t give us a business card? I think it’s a personal decision for each of us – depending on our strategy and style. Yet, I certainly see great value if someone makes it a point to give you there card after conversation.
Does that mean you follow up with everyone who has given you a card? For me, that’s a ‘no’. I’ve been at too many events where there are people who are dealing out their business cards like they’re a dealer in Vegas. There’s no conversation, nothing at all – they just deal out their cards and hit the next group of people gathered.
What I liked most about what Jun said is, have the conversation and if they offer you their card there is a desire that they want to continue the connection with you.
Great post. It’s interesting that when you don’t want anything from anybody they are more likely to give it to you. I don’t ever carry business cards. I think your approach here makes you more human and people respond better to that.
When I go to a networking event, I make it a point to target people before i even sit down and then remember their names the entire event. My business card has multi uses and it comes the stored value properties. Person gets a tag to protect their valuables and i have their simple data. It’s a conversation piece and i find people LOOKING for me so they can get one.
http://tinyurl.com/dzzq4f
In a cozy networking event – i like to make a small quiet buzz. It’s very effective, makes a great impression. Understated and very refined.
Finishing school does have it’s redeeming factors.
[...] see the bigger picture instead of focusing on the immediate hardships of my introversion. 2. From Jun Loayza on Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Blog I’m going to remind myself that I’m not a company, [...]
Wow, Jun! You summarized what I personally know to be true! The same concepts apply to the sales communications and career development skills that I’ve been evangelizing for more than a decade. Sadly, going against the grain is typically met with fear of being different when it’s really just refreshing!
Jun, you also walked your talk because I was impressed enough to check out your profile. I’ve said it before and you have further validated that our future is in great hands with the Gen Ys. Wishing you every success and looking forward to the launch of Virology.com!!
Wow, this is awesome, mindblowing! And I love how being so counterintuitive actually produces more and better results than the conventional wisdom. You have challenged me to change my game, and I will.