JoshSweeney

Speak Therefore you Meet

There is an enormous amount of information available about networking with people. You can do a simple search on “business networking” and receive 28 million plus results to churn through. They all give great tips on proper networking techniques and how to find groups and meetings that can grow your network. Most of the advise is fantastic to newcomers but I have not found a list that includes presenting and giving speeches.

Without giving speeches, presenting, or sitting on panels you can automatically limit the number of people that you can get to know per event. One common tip for networking is to be genuine. I completely agree that if you are not genuinely interested in what others do then your networking adventure will not be near as successful. In being genuinely interested you must commit time to speak with people at various events and gatherings. Although it is time well spent it limits the number of people that you can meet per event. On top of that, many people attend similar events and cluster together to say hello and discuss the latest happenings. This common clustering effect also narrows the number of people not engaged in conversation that you can get to know.

Although the standard networking ritual is a requirement there is one way to increase the number of people that you meet per event. The solution is to speak, present, or sit on a panel. With presenting you still get to network before and after the event but you also get to immediately put yourself in front of people that are interested in what you know. Once you present information you are seen as a resource for anyone who did not already know the information that you provided. At the end they will approach you with more questions and most likely give you a card or request more of your time.

In conclusion I would like to add that you should not present with this as your soul purpose. Presentations need to be genuine and for the main purpose of spreading knowledge and information. If you truly want to help others and spread knowledge then good contacts and people will find you.

Tags: business networking, presenting, speaking