SELLING YOURSELF IN A CROWD

Most of us are somewhat intimidated by large groups. Maybe we know just a few people and so tend to hang out with them. Maybe we know no one and we find a corner to stand in with a drink. We envy those people who seem to know a lot of people and move smoothly from group to group. But even if you are new to the group, you too, can be one of these people, if you follow a few simple guidelines!

Prepare your Sales Pitch

Look up the associations or companies that will be in attendance at the meeting. Find out something about each – their objectives, products, programs. (A conversation starter can be “Which group do you belong to?”

• Have a “grabber” ready about yourself. A grabber is a 10 second phrase that will intrigue people so that they will ask you questions about what it is you do. Examples of grabbers are: “I train people to make money”, or “I help companies find new markets” or “I design what you can’t live without”
• Have at least two 30 second “elevator speeches” ready about yourself. One should be jargon free, for those not in your specific field. The other should be jargon-rich, to show your knowledge of your field.
• Include what it is you do, where you work, or what you are looking for, in your 30 second intros.. Practice them with friends so you are comfortable saying them without looking like they are memorized.
• Find out of there will be a speaker and who it will be. Look the speaker up on the internet – what do they talk about?

Sell Yourself with a Terrific Business Card

• Make sure you have a supply of business or personal cards with you. You can get cards made at Staples or Office Depot, or get card stock there and make them yourself. You can get heavy cards with a line of advertising on the back for the cost of shipping from vistaprint.com.
• Wear a jacket with pockets, to make it easier to manage your business cards. Put a handful of cards and a pen in one pocket, use a different pocket to put those cards you collect so you don’t mix them up.
• When you have a minute, write on each card something about the person who gave it to you to remind you of who they are and where you met them. Note those people you meet that you want to talk to further.
• Keep the box of business cards in your car so you can restock your supply.
• The easiest way to get a business card from someone is to offer your own.

Now you are Ready for the Big Time

• Get to the meeting early. Offer to help setup, arrange tables, put out literature. You will look official and others will come up to you to talk and ask questions.
• Plan to go with a friend or colleague – not to hang out with, but to help both of you mix easier – you can help your friend get out of a long conversation, introduce each other to new contacts, etc.
• Take the attendance list from the sign-in table. Take a minute to read through it. Is anyone here from companies you may be targeting? Is anyone here from industries or particular fields you want to learn more about? Make note of their names and try to meet a few of them during the networking time.
• Decide ahead of time how many people you want to meet – time your chats so that you spend a few minutes with each during the networking time. If you want to continue a conversation, ask the person if you can phone them or meet afterwards for a drink, lunch, etc. Then you can spend more time with that person at a mutually convenient time.
• Explain to people that you want to meet a number of people, or a particular person, which will allow you to move easier from group to group.
• Even if networking for your next job, don’t carry around resumes at the meeting. Sending a resume later is an excellent way to get in touch, and you don’t want your resumes crumpled in your pocket or in the pockets of prospective bosses, or mixed in with handouts and forgotten about.
• Look around for the speaker and talk to him/her. They likely won’t know many people either. Introduce the speaker to others.
• Don’t drink too much alcohol – maximum of one drink, none is better. You want to make a positive impression and get the most from the function, so do it with a clear head.

Dinner Time and the Networking is easy…

• Sit with people you haven’t met yet. Look for the people on the attendance list you wanted to meet and haven’t met yet and sit with one or more of them.
• Try not to sit with a large group of people from the same company – it will be harder to get to know them because they will be talking to each other – unless that company is one of your targets – then ask them for help in your search!
• Volunteer for any committees being formed. Committee members will help you get to know others and to network more effectively.
• Introduce yourself to the group’s officers and offer to get involved – ask how you can help.
• Use good table etiquette, be a good listener, stand out for your scintillating conversation, not for your bad habits.

After the Party is Over

• Add new contacts to your spreadsheet or database of network contacts
• Mark on the cards you collected where you met people, something about them so that you will remember them.
• Get back in touch with those you met – send along any information you agreed to send or you think they may be interested in.
• If there were a few people you wanted to meet that were signed up to attend and you didn’t get to meet them – send them an email and explain why you wanted to meet them. Perhaps they would agree set up a time for a meeting or a phone call to discuss what you wanted to know from them.
• Evaluate how you did – Do you need to improve your 30 second introductions? Do you need a better grabber? Do you need practice moving between groups?
• Seek out additional opportunities to network in a group setting.

That’s all there is to it – you too can be comfortable selling yourself to others in a crowd. You can be the one everyone else envies for their skill at networking! All it takes is a little practice.

Courtesy: Peggy Neubig 973-625-8987