New to Networking?

I recently attended a business awards event, which had a short networking session before the presentation started.  After walking in by myself and checking in, I thought: What now?

Networking may come naturally for some people and many have the natural ability to walk up to anyone in the room and start a conversation.  As for individuals who are quiet, timid, or not sure how to begin these types conversation, this could be a daunting and intimidating task.

I walked around the room for a while and looked at the award candidates, then I dove right in and began introducing myself.  Here are a few tips that I used to gain the confidence to walk up to these “strangers”:

1.    Listen more than you speak

2.    Have plenty of business cards and take your time to look at the cards you receive

3.    Make sure your body language expresses you are open and inviting

4.    Be yourself

5.    Prepare ahead of time and conduct research regarding the topic of the event

6.    Have a few ice breakers ready

After introducing yourself and finding a little bit about what they do, this is the turning point in the conversation.  Instead of firing 20 questions, for example “how do you like work?” followed by “what do you do in your free time?”, follow your question with “I’m glad work is going well. Tell me more about the project you are working on.”  This shows you are actually interested in hearing what they have to say and will result in a much better relationship.  The only way to develop networking skills is trial and error and gain as much experience as possible.  Share your networking experiences with us.  What helps you the most when attending these events?