This document provides tips and tricks for networking from Hannah Liversidge, who refers to herself as the "Unnatural Networker." The document repeats Hannah Liversidge's name and title throughout, suggesting it will share her advice on how to network effectively for those who may find it unnatural.
In this foresight I wanted to share my top 5 tips for those of us in the room that aren’t the natural, outgoing, always chatting networkers – the unnatural ones. The ones who, like me, like to come in, get our coffee and get others to speak with us so we don’t have to interrupt a conversation! You may not know it but from the age of 16 I have been thrown into networking – starting with the good ol’ BNI for 3 years, taking a break and then coming to a world of other networks like 4N, Athena, my own networking group & more. The issue is, I am an unnatural networker. I can’t stand the thought of a big room of people already engaged in great conversations, having to sell my business through talking to them and potentially having cards thrust in my direction. However, I have learned quite a few essential tips as a networker that I’d like to share with you, to make it all a little easier.
So, I am going to start with the thing you should all be doing after this meeting – the follow up! It’s so easy to say you’ll do it and then get caught up with the day to day life of our business. If you are like me, and love a good diary schedule then you will have diarised this meeting, ensuring that you don’t double book – so how about booking an extra 30 minutes for when you get back to your office or home for the follow ups. I suggest adding each person you specifically said you would connect with to LinkedIn, and emailing them (if this is your preferred format of following up). This will, I promise you, boost your credibility with them in a flash. You actually do what you say you are going to do. Great! And if you have beaten them to the follow up then even better. I also tend to take a business card, write something we spoke about as a reference on it and use that in the follow up so they know I was listening – for example, we spoke about motorbikes, they have a Yamaha – I’ll put this in the email that I have one too and what colour is it? Making it personal!
You wouldn’t do your job without the right tools would you? What if you were offered even better tools than you are using? Would you just stick with the ones you have already without utilising the ones that could be doing you a better service? This is what I think when I come to a meeting and see the amazing tools that the network are sharing not being used. For example, the bumpf table over there, dedicated to the members of this group to share their business cards – just in case you don’t get to speak with everyone in the room. Have you put your card over there? Have you even gone over there and taken the cards on the table? I have noticed at many of the meetings I go to that this table is not being utilised – why on earth not!? If you are superhuman and get to speak with everyone in this room, get their card and remember to follow up with them then fab, but they may not have received yours. So just put it over there and see what happens. after the meeting you get the attendee list – now, I am unsure if this is just me, but I am not great with names, so I would not always remember who is who when receiving a list after the meeting – this also gives you the chance to get the details of anyone who forgot to use the table!
Are you taking notes about each of these members who are standing up and sharing their business with you? If you aren’t is there a point in us sharing our business with you and you with any of us if we can’t remember everyone’s details, plus if we don’t have your business card to put in our handy business card files how can we remember when a contact asks for someone in the business that you are in? We will not always remember your name or details. I take my own notes, put a star next to the ones I want to chat with and then get the list after the meeting (this would be so much easier if the list was shared at the meeting but that’s another issue!) Are you getting the lists? Can you honestly remember all of us and what we do?
Be prepared – if you are an unnatural networker, shy presenter or new to this whole networking game you may find it difficult to know what to say, how long it will be and may end up mumbling some words about you and your business then sitting down not remembering what you said! If you come with a few bullet points on paper, or, like me my whole 40 seconds printed out, then you at least have something there to go back to when you stand up and the eyes peer at you! I never stick to what I have written down but that doesn’t matter, I know the general subject and what I want to share with the group and this makes me so much calmer! The same goes for bringing the essentials – you business cards, any promotional flyers and testimonials, your pen and paper for taking notes (as in tip 3!) and mints, I know this is a silly one but trust me, lots of coffee and then a 1-1 can feel uncomfortable!
Finally – enjoy it, be yourself and make a great impression! Get here early, as I love to do, get your seat and space set up – this will put you at ease as there aren’t lots of people to be overwhelmed with. Put your business cards on the table and get in the calm space you need for a successful meeting. Everyone is here to do one thing – network and build their contacts – if you are feeling uncomfortable go find someone else who just came in and ask how they are and play the role of host. I was always told to act as the hostess – this means introducing yourself, introducing people to each other and making each person feel comfy. This gives me a task that I feel comfortable with and I love having tasks to complete!
