Over on Legal Ease, Allison Shields gives some great advice (Holiday Networking Tips, Networking for Shy People, and Networking: What do I say?) about networking. I have two other tips that I have picked up along the way that I would like to add.
The first is to develop the mindset that networking is all about giving. When I think, “What can I do to help this person?” I listen better and ask better questions. Following on some of Allison’s points, the more you know about the members of your group and the more you prepare, the more you will be able to help the people you meet.
The second point (Allison covers this as well) is never to answer the question “What do you do for a living?” with a label like “I’m an accountant.” Rather, talk about who you work with and the problem you solve. Learn to ask questions to see if the person you are talking to has had that problem (or knows someone who has).
For instance, if I were a chiropractor, I might say, “I help people who suffer from neck pain after sitting in front of a computer all day. Have you ever gotten a crink in your neck that was so bad you couldn’t focus on what someone was telling you?”. If you can develop the habit of giving succinct replies to questions about yourself and then asking a follow-up question about the other person’s opinion or experience, I think you will have much more interesting conversations at networking events.
