How to Find Networking EventsThere are some easy ways to find networking events and conferences near you or that interest you.Meetup.com Events : Meetup is the online source I’ve used most often to find networking groups. There are literally groups for anything.These don’t have to be groups based solely around your business or career, you can find book clubs, hiking groups, travel groups, singles groups, etc.Google Events: Google aggregates a ton of different sites to find events for you as well.Eventbrite: Similar to Meetup.com, Eventbrite is another platform for finding local events near you. Many paid conferences and events use the platform, so you might find that these events are more likely paid than free, but that’s not always the case.Plus, when people charge a $10 cover, the crowd is generally not just there for the free food, and you’ll likely make some more quality connections.Facebook Events: If you are on Facebook at all these days, I’m sure you’ve seen some notification that friends are “interested” in an event near you.Keep that in mind as you RSVP for events, friends will see those. But Facebook events is a great place to find local events that might be great places to network and meet people.13 Tips for Introverts and Those Who Hate NetworkingAlright, you know why networking is important, and how you can find events, but how exactly should you be networking? Here are a few tips to help make the experience less awkward.1. Prepare Some QuestionsBefore you get to the event, come up with a few topics or questions you want to talk about. When conversation starts slowing down, or you can’t come up with anything organically, having these few things to talk about will be a huge help, trust me.This tip has saved me from the awkward silence and “great to meet you, I’m gonna go grab a drink” line more than a few times.The trick here is to make sure these are open-ended questions so you aren’t stuck with a simple “yes” or “no” without any follow up.2. Use First NamesI’m terrible at this, and when I say terrible, I mean awful.But people love when you use their name, and they’ll be surprised when you do. Most people are like me and can’t remember it after the first 3 seconds of conversation.There are plenty of tricks you can learn to remember names so you can stand out a little, but I’m just honestly too lazy to figure it out. And I recognize that’s a fault of mine. Oh well.Always follow up – the other people won’t, just understand that from the beginning. It has nothing to do with you or their interest with you, people just get busy.3. Take Advantage of LinesWhen I go to networking events, it can often get awkward quick. That’s when I take the opportunity to jump in a line – if there are drinks or food being served, I’ll head to the bar or food line.Anywhere there will be someone in front of me and behind me. These are gold mines for meeting people and will often be the person you spend the next 10-20 minutes with. Since you’re both eating, you won’t be that awkward person walking around with food by yourself.4. Gracefully Get AwayOnce you’ve been to your fair share of events, you’ll experience the time when someone is chatting your ear off and hasn’t even asked your name yet.More often than not, it’s probably best you spend your valuable time speaking with someone else. Excusing yourself to the restroom is usually the easiest way to do this.If you have a stage 4 clinger on your hands, you might have to put your hand out to shake theirs and say, “it was great meeting you, I’m going to go mingle a bit.” That should do the trick.5. Smile, All the Way to the BankNo but seriously, if you do nothing else right at a networking event, make sure you smile. You might think you’ll look like a weirdo who is way too happy, but no one is going to approach you if you have resting bitch face. Trust me.Which one are you more comfortable approaching?6. Get There EarlyIt’s so much easier to walk into a room of 3-5 people than to get there 15 minutes after the event starts and find yourself walking into a sea of people and trying to figure out who to talk to.Even if you come early and ask if you can help set up, getting to know the event organizers is not a bad idea, considering they probably can introduce you to a few people.7. Volunteer to Set UpOn the same note, volunteer to help ahead of time. If the event is larger or you know they’ll be understaffed, reach out a few days ahead of time and offer a hand.8. Remember You’re Not the Only Nervous OneYou really think you’re the only person who is nervous at these events? I guarantee you aren’t. Just remember that as you’re trying to get the courage to talk to someone new, or if someone flubs a word or two, we’re all in this together.9. Don’t Focus on the Well-Known PeopleDon’t only look to talk to the big named people. Their best friend could be the guy standing next to you.Don’t you think it’s easier to get into their “circle” if you become nice with their best friend vs being one of 800 people trying to get something out of the personal everyone knows?10. Go in With an Open MindDon’t pressure yourself into walking out with exactly what you came for. Instead, make your goal to provide value to other people.Don’t count the number of business cards you give out, just work on having meaningful conversations with people in your area.11. Listen More Than You TalkListen more than you talk. Asking questions can often help you keep this ratio in check. You’re not meeting people to talk about yourself, you’re looking to gain information and learn what they do.12. Follow Up, Because They Won’tOkay, so I know you put in a lot of work at the event, but it doesn’t end there. You’re going to need to follow up afterwards as well, because most people don’t these days.It doesn’t say anything about their interest in you, people just use the “busy excuse” too much these days. Look, I’m one of them, and I’ve totally been the person to not follow up. But I always appreciate when the other person does because I did want to stay in touch, I just forgot, or got busy.And, before you leave, make sure you ask who their perfect client is. That way when you do follow up, you can potentially provide them with some leads. Or you can at least keep track of what they need so you can help them later on and grow the relationship.13. Find Your “Anchor” TopicThe anchor topic is the thing the two of you have in common. The same hometown, or you’re both Phillies fans, or your grandmother lived on a farm.There’s going to be something you can relate to in their story if you ask enough questions. My favorites are:Where are you from?Where did you grow up?Where did you go to college? see hubwealthy.com/wealthy
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