How To Tuesday: How to Network Without Being a Jerk

I’ve been attending a lot of conferences as of late, and I realize my attitude on what I get out of these get togethers has changed. A year ago I was disappointed when I attended a conference and didn’t come back with business. Now I come back completely satisfied, ready to build on the connections I  made.

Let’s get started. Here’s your first lesson. Repeat after me:

I will not sell my product/service at a conference.

Say it again. Go ahead, I’m waiting.

Conferences and networking meetings are designed to expose you to a lot of people. You’re surrounded by hundreds of other people and lots of noise so you get about 60 seconds to make any kind of impression. Take a business card and make a note of how you can build that relationship.

Some relationships will bear fruit. Others won’t. I have contacts I met last year that are only now coming into fruition.

The key is to go into networking with the attitude that you want to find new people to pay attention to. You can then go home and connect on Twitter, Facebook, their blog, Whrrl, etc. As you see fit, leave comments and send notes to the people you met. Keep the fire burning. When the time is right, you’ll find a way to work together.

Am I being harsh? Does this bother you that I’m telling you to spend hundreds of dollars to attend a convention only to not come away with ROI? Think about how you’d feel if you met someone and 30 seconds in, they’re pitching their product. You’d be turned off. But take that same person, let him hand you his card and walk away. Curious, you follow him on all the channels. Turns out you’re both into baseball. There’s a conversation starter. You talk through Twitter for months when suddenly you need what he has. He’s the one you’ll go to, right?

Now you get it.

So if you’re networking with the mindset of getting something out of it, shift your thinking. You’ll reap even more benefits if you do.