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Transcript
I was once at a networking event for HR practitioners and I remember that when I was in a group, one person very openly asked if we could connect on LinkedIn. And I really appreciate it because as I said before, this is the ultimate goal of everybody in the room. So there is nothing to be like shameful or uncomfortable about. So of course it might be a bit like, awkward but think about that. This is not like, if you go to a party and you meet someone you like not necessarily on a romantic level, but this is a person that you want to keep in touch with. You probably very genuinely and spontaneously is like, Oh, why don’t we just stay connected on Facebook or this is my number, just stay in touch. Uh, let’s go for a beer.
And this is basically the same idea for when you are in a networking event. There are no hierarchies, there are no roles, everybody is there. And so it’s about friendliness and it’s about an interest when you ask a person to stay connected. So a bit more formal, you can ask for the business card, and this is absolutely normal. There is nothing really uncomfortable or weird about it. Everybody carries their business cards. This is like what business cards are for, for networking events.
So feel free to just ask. People love when they can hand out their business cards. So you will actually really much, please them if you give them the possibility to hand out the business card. So ask for the business cards and be like, “I would be really interested to check more about what you do. Would you mind handing me your business cards or do you have a business card that I can have?”
Or maybe ask for their social media account of the project or the companies that they have, so you can actually follow up more indirectly after the conversation. And if you see that there is a really good connection and you’re really talking fluently with the person in front of you, just go for a LinkedIn connection request like, “Oh can we connect on LinkedIn? I would really like to stay in touch” or “Can you drop me or e-mail address so I can contact you for that?”
It’s really simple and it’s really natural and it was really context specific. So you’re not going to ask anything weird or out of place. Just think about that this is natural kind of engagement and interaction in a situation like that. And again, if you feel like this weird go for the business cards, the business card is always like a safe card to play if you feel a bit like weird about it.
About a group set up or setting, the group conversation is always very dynamic. I remember being in a networking event where I was part of a group, I also know the very extrovert person. Like I am an extrovert, but in my work, even when we’re in groups, I tend to be a bit more behind or in back in the scene. And I really try, always to understand who is a person that I truly want to connect with within the group. So what I do I wait that the conversation takes a good form for me tol approach the person more individually. And first of all, maybe come up with a more direct question. So maybe ask more specifically what this person does or how they are working on this. And trying to find a good timing in the group conversation that you can catch this person or privately or individually.
And if this is not possible, try to grab that opportunity. This is the time and this space for you to actually connect. So like profit off a silent moment or a moment where, I don’t know where this person is going to grab a coffee and just get with them and try to be smart and look at where are moments where you can actually get more individually with the person. And then at that point again, probably just ask to connect on LinkedIn or get their email address or ask for the business cards. It’s a lot about how you can strategize smartly within the conversation. A conversation is never steady.
You will realize that sometimes there are more dominant people that tend to speak more and there are less dominant people that usually are quieter. But again also don’t assume things about those because, maybe you might feel that they’re more dominant people don’t let you talk or that, or the quieter people are less important. So just try to drop this assumptions and go with your intuition. So if you want to say something, say something, if you don’t want to say something, don’t say something. If you want to approach one person, just wait for the right moment within the conversation. Or very gently be like, “Hey, I found that really important or very interesting. Can you tell me more?” or “Would you mind having a follow up chat about it?” So it’s a lot about how you move within the conversation itself to find a right time to share, or to come up with your own interaction approach.
