This is the slide deck from a workshop I gave to Assoc. for Clinical Research Professionals on how to optimize a business networking event to initiate and develop business relationships.

1. Getting More Out of Your
Networking Time
January 19, 2019
Facilitator: Doug Milikien, MS
Education Committee co-chair
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.

2. Origin
• Continuation of Nov 2018 Networking Exercise
led by Patty Kasper & Maria Filippou-Frye
– Using your elevator pitch
– Value of your network
– Importance of follow-up
• This activity loosely based on techniques
developed by Ivan Misner, PhD, founder of
Business Networking International(240k
members)
• “The Father of Modern Networking”- CNN
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.

3. Overarching Philosophy of Attending a
Networking Event
• {Disclaimer: It’s perfectly fine if you just want to socialize}
• Key Principle: Attending a Networking Event is a
screener activity for initiating business
relationships.
• Objective: For each person you meet, quickly
determine:
– which of your networking spheres they belong to
– the urgency and depth of follow-up
• How? – Ask Deeper Questions!
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.

4. Networking Spheres
What is their potential relationship to you?
{these can be overlapping}
Information
Support or
Mentoring
Contacts
Resource/
Vendor
Provider of
Complimentary
Service
Provider of
Same
Service,
“Competitor”
Authority
Figure, e.g.
FDA, NIH
Potential
Employer or
Customer
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.

5. Basic Principles
1. Have an objective: From which of these spheres are you looking to meet
people?
2. Be Prepared: business cards, calendar, Sharpie, pen, cough drops
3. To come off as interesting, be interested! Ask better questions.
4. Offer Help: introductions, sending an article, making a phone call...
5. Don’t spend more than 10 minutes with any one person/conversation.
6. If, after 10 minutes, you want to talk more, book a meeting now! Get out
your calendar and book it right now!
7. Follow-Up, Follow-Up, Follow-Up: early(within 1 week) and often

6. Today’s Activity
1. Pretend you’re at a networking function prior to or during a
industry conference or seminar
2. Look around the room for the person(s) holding a card of same
“rank” or “kind” as you
3. Use the provided questions in the handout to have an 8-minute
conversation
4. I’ll call “Time”. Move on to next person. Repeat 3
5. Smile and Have Fun! It’s a way of getting to know people better
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.

7. Sample Networking Questions
1. What is your interest in the speaker/topic presented tonight? Is it something that comes up in your work?
2. What kinds of people are you looking to meet at this event? Maybe I know someone here who does that and
I can introduce you.
3. How long have you been doing {insert their profession}? Is that something you studied in college? What
motivated you in your younger years to get into that line of work?
4. Why do you do what you do? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
5. What other industry events or organizations do you attend that are “can’t miss”?
6. Are there certain industry trends or hot topics that interest you or that you keep on top of, other than the one
presented tonight?
7. Does your company/department ever use {insert your profession that ties into your value proposition}?
8. What is the biggest problem you face regularly in your job? Maybe I know someone who can help with that.
9. Why did you join ACRP? What are you looking to get out of your membership?
10. In your work, what is your sweet spot or specialization? What do you really love doing?
Choose 3 or 4 per conversation
© 2019 Accudata Solutions, Inc.