Networking Tips - How to Make New Connections

Sometimes you are the one who can personally help them address their need; sometimes you may not be able to help them directly, but you know someone who possibly can help.

Networking Tip #1

Create a Personal Connection - Networking starts by creating a personal connection. People like associating with other people with whom they feel some sort of bond due to shared interests or experiences. Getting to that stage is a process of developing some level of the following:

• Likeability

• Commonality

• Credibility / Trustworthiness

Networking Tip #2

Ask Questions to Learn About Them - When you meet someone for the first time at a networking event, your first objective is to learn something about the other person and find a common connection- one on which you can build some sort of relationship. Don't spend the entire conversation talking about yourself and how great your company is. Instead, ask questions and be present with active listening skills.

Ask questions about the type of work they do or what currently excites them the most. Try your best to avoid the common and most overly used, low-hanging fruit question "What do you do?" Although it may not be the worst thing to ask someone, you don't want to be the person who is rapidly firing this question at multiple people throughout the event. Luckily, networking events, organized by The Network San Diego, include nametags that show the industry each person works in so you can simply gather this information on your own.

Networking Tip #3

Understand the Levels of Connection - Although the speed at which a relationship develops between two people can vary widely, there are five basic levels involved in the process:

Level 1 Complete Stranger

Level 2 Casual Acquaintance

Level 3 Friendly Acquaintance

Level 4 Personal Friend

Level 5 Trusted Ally

People often make the mistake of trying to move too quickly through the connection levels. They try to go from Complete Stranger to Trusted Ally in the first meeting - and that's simply unrealistic. Forming a genuine lasting personal or professional relationship that takes time.

Networking Tip #4

Appear Approachable - One of the biggest concerns people have about networking events is having something to say after they say "hello." It's important to go with the flow and to be present in the conversation.

Simple things like smiling, making eye contact, and maintaining an open body posture can go a long way to encourage others to engage in a conversation with you.

Active listening skills helps to be present in conversation and attuned to what the person is actually saying rather than thinking of what you simply want to say next. Oftentimes, it takes time to set the stage for positive interactions at the networking event.

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