My Top Five Tips for Networking Events

I had the opportunity to speak at the Fitbloggin conference last weekend; I had a blast dropping Pinterest and branding knowledge on the fitness and wellness blogging community!

The first night of the conference was an ice-breaking welcome mixer. I was super jazzed to get out of the house for a few hours to schmooze with fellow bloggers and enjoy some delicious snacks provided by the Fitbloggin sponsors (California Avocados, I’m looking in your specific direction. The avocado and blueberry salsa with the chips was some major NOM NOM NOM action.)

As I stepped off the escalator on the second floor of the Hyatt, I felt my foot catch on something. Glancing down, my heart sank. My favorite pair of bright kelly green patent leather flats, that I had bought at Payless 5 years ago for 10 bucks… the pair with the failing soles that I’ve super glued back on more than a few times…

The sole on the right shoe was coming off. As I was walking into a networking mixer. To hopefully meet future design clients.

MORTIFIED.

And as the night progressed, (successfully I might add despite my flapping shoe sole) I really got to thinking about how I survive networking events. These are my top five tips for networking, I hope they help you!

1. Pick a memorable story to share.

I’m a huge dork, so more often than not that means when I’m networking that I own the ridiculousness.

I could’ve sat down at a table in a corner and hidden my feet from view all night, but instead that broken shoe was the perfect ice breaker. I’d exaggerate shuffling my feet as I walked, and then point out why I was doing so. I told new blogging friends about how much I’ve loved these shoes over the years, and how they gave out on me on my way in the door.

Did the story paint me as a cheapskate who doesn’t wanna sheck out for a quality pair of kicks? Sure, but my loyalty to my shoes also subtly tells the person I’m talking to that I stick with what I love to the bitter end. Owning the ridiculousness also gives you a great story to tell as an ice breaker. It makes you come across as friendly, confident, and super approachable.

Oh, and it makes you stand out, and easy to remember.

2. Stay professionally sober at after hours events.

People go to blogging conferences for a lot of different reasons. Lots are going to make connections with brands they hopefully want to work with in the future.

So it’s a no brainer. Treat networking like a more casual job interview. You’re allowed to have fun, but if you want to be an effective networker don’t take up the host on their free booze. If you want to remember exactly what the brand representatives saw you doing at the party, don’t take up the host on their free booze.

If you know for a fact you’re still as articulate and well mannered as Maya Angelou after one glass of wine, go on with your bad self.

I said ONE.

3. Wear something with pockets.

Your own business cards go in your right pocket, the business cards you receive go in the left.

If you’ve never tried this trick before, do it the next time you’re at a networking event. It’ll blow your mind how much more suave you feel without fumbling through your purse every time you want to give someone your info.

4. Write on the business cards you receive.

As you have the opportunity, jot notes about what you talked about on the business cards you get from others. You’ll seem so much more on top of things when you email that person the next day, and you’ll help jog their memory by mentioning that info as well.

5. Follow up in a timely manner.

You saw how I mentioned emailing your new contacts the next day, right? Email them back the next day. You’re fresh in their minds.

I’m totally breaking that last rule right now with my Fitbloggin contacts – it’s July 4 and I haven’t emailed them just yet. But I promise, I’ve got a really good reason for it. It might include a little bit of work that I want to finish on this site before I invite new contacts to visit it.

And by the way… When I got home from the networking event last week, after sharing a laugh with me about my wardrobe malfunction my mom in law totally made me throw those old shoes away.