Your networking event sucks
"Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't." Bill Nye
"If you get a chance to meet them" Rob Campbell
Does your networking event suck? Have you been to one which sucks? I've answered yes to both of those. Upfront, I'm a believer and staunch supporter of networking. I've worked hard for sure, but every success I've had in my encore life following military service can be traced back to a network - someone I met at a networking event or on platforms such as LinkedIn who eventually contracted me for my leadership services or connected me with someone who did or who brought value to my life. Networking comes in several flavors. It can be done though platforms like LinkedIn, virtual meetings (more common post pandemic), or, in its most common form, a physical meeting at a physical location. The latter is the one I want to unpack.
I wouldn't consider myself an authority on networking events but I have been to countless ones and hosted some great and not so great (read: suck) ones. I'll call myself experienced. I'll visit the suck first then offer my thoughts on how to make them not suck.
There I was, at a networking event at a venue really not designed for it - too much distracting noise and not big enough to fit the participants. Maybe it was too hot or too cold. The host is more interested in their agenda and hearing themself talk. I look across the room and see some interesting people. Time is not on my side so I'd like to know who they are and what they do so I can refine my networking approach. Unfortunately the agenda does not include a brief introduction or it allows for everyone to ramble on endlessly eating up precious interaction time. The guest speaker eats away more precious time describing their greatness by essentially reading their resume. From the guest speaker I take away their life story and their successes but they offer me little in terms of practical steps I can take to create my own success or avoid mistakes. I might gather a few business cards from the event but I'm forced to schedule more time, beyond the meeting to interact with those I desired to network with. I sum, I get a little salad, a single spoon of potatoes, a bite of steak, but I walk away hungry and disappointed.
Networking events are a value proposition. What will cause a person to dedicate their precious time and attend one and return? There has to be something in it for them. They ought to feel inspired, enlightened, and generally better about themselves following a networking event. Their network ought to be expanded by a single event. It's a tall order and it should be. Here are my tips.
It's about the participants, not the host, guest speaker, or anything else. Make this a true priority. Focus on them. Allow them seconds, not minutes to introduce themselves, their profession or business. Do not let people ramble on. Allow the event to unfold more organically. Set the participants free to 'speed date' as it is called. These organic conversations are the real gold in networking. Remember the best part of a networking event is what happens outside or after the agenda. The right venue is important. Can the host and participants be heard and seen? Can people converse in their normal tone or do they have to yell over the noise? Choose your guest speakers wisely and put them at the back of the agenda. Demand or at least coach the guest speaker to offer something tangible to the audience. Nobody cares where they (or you) came from and what they (or you) have done. They want help and a guest speaker ought to craft their remarks toward that end. People learn more from the failures of others not by listening to a person who "bought the business, scaled it, then sold it for 1.2 million dollars." Have an agenda and keep it short but don't fall in love with it. People do want structure at networking events but you must balance it with the opportunity to truly network.
Lastly, remember, networking is not people standing around listening to one person speak. It is not your weekly meeting with people you already know. These are valuable meetings for sure, but they get mislabeled as networking events. Networking is about strangers interacting organically, learning and gaining value from each other. Fuel and foster that in your networking event. Don't send them away hungry. Don't make it suck.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell