22- Tactical Networking: 3 Tips for preparing to network

Tactical Networking (ˈtaktək(ə)l ˈnetˌwərking) : developing a strategic plan consisting of actionable items that will enhance your productivity at events focused on exchange of information aimed at producing mutually beneficial relationships

A few months ago, I had the privilege of being part of a panel on business development at the Engineering Career Success Summit (ECSS) in Washington, DC. The moderator for the panel, Christian Knutson, PE, has had a distinguished career in the U.S. Air force. When one of the panelists, Ari Tinkoff, PE, shared a tip that he always eats before the networking event so that he always has one hand open to meet people, Christian commented that it sounded like the tip was ideal for tactical networking.

In last week’s blog we tackled the topic of networking with people when you are naturally a shy person. Now that you have some ideas of how to connect with people when you are at the event, let’s go through three pre-planning tips you can use to set yourself up for success.

1- Plan to find a familiar face

If you are attending a large event, chances are you will know at least one other person attending. You can make plans to meet the person before the event for  coffee, or, if they work or live close to you, for a carpool. At one event, I found out that one of my colleagues lived close to me. That night, we agreed to carpool to a future meeting, which alleviated my stress of potentially not knowing anyone when I first arrived at the event.

The key to using this tip is finding that person. You can go about this several ways. If you have been to an event hosted by the same group in the past, you can call or email someone that you connected with at a previous event and ask if they are going to attend. If this is your first time, ask the hosting group if you can have a list of the registered attendees. In my experience, this works about half of the time. Unfortunately, the other half of the time the organizer won’t give the list out due to privacy concerns. If neither of those options provides a fruitful outcome, use your social media accounts. I often post a link to the events I’m attending with a simple, “Are you going?” to my LinkedIn account. Often, at least one person will respond and I know that there will be at least one friendly face in the room. As you grow your network and are more comfortable going to events, you can use the same tips to help target who you want to spend time with at these events.

2- Arrive early

Arriving to an event early has two distinct benefits. First, if you are someone who is easily overwhelmed by large groups of people, you can start by getting to know a smaller, more intimate group of people. Second, you always want to get the most of out of the time you are spending at the event. By consciously try to form as many new meaningful relationships as possible, as compared to staying in a group of people you already know, you will meet more people. Networking is partially about simple math: the more people you connect with, the more likely it is that you will have future business opportunities.

Arriving early also signals to others that you are responsible with your time and respectful of theirs. Although this situation is typically not real, consider that you are at the networking meeting to hire someone to outsource payroll to. Throughout the night, you have met two people, Sally and Tim.  Sally arrived a few minutes early with plenty of business cards and spent time discussing her business model with you. Tim, however, arrived very late and seemed to be in a rush to get to the next person. If the value and quality of their services are both equal, which person do you prefer to work with? It is likely that you agree 100% of the people I polled, and want to work with Sally.  In face, one of the best responses I received on the poll was that “she was prepared and valued my time.” Being early is invaluable when you are trying to earn someone’s respect.

3- Fill your pockets with business cards

At any networking event, you have something in common with everyone in the room; you want to meet people and develop mutually beneficial relationships. Part of that relationship includes being able to contact each other once the event ends. Business cards have been used for centuries as a way for people to introduce each other and exchange contact information.

If you want to successfully grow your network, always carry your business cards with you and have them readily accessible. Take more than you think you need, and have more available. If you arrived at the event in a car this is easy, keep an extra box of cards in the car. This way, if you run out, you can excuse yourself for a few minutes, retrieve the cards, and continue networking. I keep two boxes of business cards, one in my office, and the other in my car, just for such occasions.

Another tip that I learned from panelist Sylvia Montgomery at the ECSS is to always have a place to store your business cards for seamless retrieval. My personal preference is to wear a dress to networking events. However, if the dress doesn’t have pockets, I often find myself doing an odd jig trying to open my purse and get a business card out while holding a drink and maintaining eye contact with the person I just met. Instead, as Sylvia suggests, wear clothing that allows you to effortlessly retrieve a business card to give to the other person without causing a distracting break in the conversation. Consider wearing slacks or a dress with pockets to networking events. Unlike most pocketed shirts, these have the advantage of having two pockets. Keep your business cards in your left pocket so you can offer one after shaking someone’s hand. When the other person gives you their card you can put it in your right pocket. This also eliminates the awkward moment when you give someone a business card that is not your own because another person’s card was mixed together with yours.

Although attending networking events can be intimidating, you can use tactical planning to navigate through the room and into new business relationships. Plan ahead, arrive early, and keep business cards readily accessible to set yourself up for a successful networking event.

What are your tips for tactical networking?