Here we are, talking to the Duke of Kent!
With ever-increasing opportunities to network for women, fempreneurs must be in heaven — so much choice! Whether you pay for these opportunities or benefit from no-cost networking, you will most likely go prepared with your business cards, an engaging elevator speech and the desire to meet new people.
But in reality, many people are shy and end up networking either with the person they arrive with, the one they meet at the registration desk or bar, sit next to, or get introduced to by someone they know.
And what most people don’t do is pick out the most connected people at the event! How would you know them anyway you may ask? Well, amongst the participants will be several key people and they are usually overlooked.
The first person is the one in charge of registration who may well be positioned at the entrance and greeting everyone. Not only do they know who is at the event, but they can point out the host or the speaker. Sometimes they are solopreneurs themselves just helping out, and whilst they may be busy at the beginning, they may be happy to talk to you later on.
The host is another person you shouldn’t miss! At one of my events this year, after the initial workshop activities, I made a point to mix and mingle as I usually do, but on this occasion I felt completely redundant as none of the new people seemed to consider the host a ‘useful contact’! It’s their loss, for all I know I may have been the person with the longest track record in networking and the biggest network in the room.
Sometimes of course the host will be busy and can’t network, but when they can, just remember, they may also know everyone or their business and could make a key introduction for you if you play your cards right.
The third person worth speaking to is the speaker. Whilst they may not wish to be distracted before their talk, if they are mixing and mingling afterwards, why not introduce yourself and connect with them?
I had the most fascinating discussion with the enterprising entrepreneur Nicola Horlick after a recent event in London. Mum to six children and one of the top 10 entrepreneurs in the UK, we networked for over 30 minutes, and it all simply started with me thanking her for her interesting presentation!
So next time you attend an event, why not try the ‘trick’ of connecting with the best-connected people at the event?
About the author: Ute Wieczorek-King helps busy women to be well connected, visible, effective and profitable in business. She is co-author of “From Contact to Advocate(TM)- the 7-step Approach to Building Referral Relationships”. Read more about this interactive networking manual
Connect with her via Twitter, the Success Network Community on Linkedin, or Success Network Recipes on Facebook. Or sign up to the monthly newsletter at Success Network.
success recipes for solopreneurs 
Great pointers Ute and very helpful indeed; I remember Nicola Horlick from her Insurance mishap days. Too often people come late and leave early from networking events which I think is a crying shame- defeats the object! And everyone wants to know they have done well – the organisers, speakers and the staff serving drinks and canapes too! A kind word with a smile goes a long way..
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Thank you, Diksha! It beats me why some people arrive late and leave early – for me the best networking often happens after the official part of the event! In addition to talking to the speaker, you can discuss the speaker topic with another guest or continue a conversation you may have started earlier. If a meeting is 2 hours long, I always recommend blocking out an extra hour in the diary, just in case. Oh and by the way, Nicola Horlick is really nice- quite inspiring in fact how she recovered from all her setbacks!
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