5 Tips to Leave a Lasting Impression at Your Next Networking Event - Sterling Career Concepts

5 Tips to Leave a Lasting Impression at Your Next Networking Event 5 Tips to Leave a Lasting Impression at Your Next Networking Event Source: Pexels.com Networking to develop professional relationships is essential for your future career growth and can do wonders in helping you discover new career opportunities. Besides engaging in your office’s social culture, a great way to build your network of contacts is through attending networking events within your industry, like an industry-specific conference or more general meet-up. Successful networking is developed through experience. You can prep yourself as much as possible beforehand by acknowledging your expectations and goals for the event. In order to make sure you make a lasting impression, here are some essential tips to keep in mind. Introduce yourself with a firm handshake This may sound like a no-brainer, but you should always greet someone with a firm handshake and hold eye contact with them as you introduce yourself. A handshake is a professional courtesy and important sign of respect. Maintaining eye contact is important to demonstrate that you are engaged in the conversation and are interested in who they are and what they have to say. These implicit body language cues are small details that help to start you off on the right foot with the person you’re speaking with. Though it sounds easy, your nerves can make even the simplest social niceties into awkward misfires. Think about practicing your handshake and introduction with a family member or significant other. That way, you can nail it down and have it be second nature before speaking with a potential connection. Look your best Attractive people are assumed to be competent in other areas thanks to a psychological phenomena known as the “halo effect.” This makes how you present yourself an essential part of leaving a good impression. You don’t have to be a model in order to work your “halo” to your advantage, all it takes is the right outfit and proper grooming. For most networking events, your best bet is business casual. For men, this means dress slacks or chinos paired with a button down shirt and dress shoes. For women, a skirt or dress slacks with a blouse or sweater and closed-toed shoes is a good bet. However, don’t just default to your go-to business look. It’s important to adjust your outfit for the event you’re going to, so always double check the dress code beforehand. As far as grooming is concerned, consider getting a haircut a few days before the event to clean up your look. Putting a little extra effort into the small details of your appearance is also a good idea, and can help to address areas you might feel self-conscious of. For example, if a stress pimple pops up on the day of the event, think about using some concealer to cover up. Or, if you’re worried about a receding hairline, finding an effective hair loss solution can do wonders in improving your self-confidence prior to the big day. Teeth whitening products can also work to enhance your smile. Give meaningful compliments Giving someone a meaningful compliment is more than just brown-nosing. It helps to further demonstrate your respect for who they are and show that you genuinely appreciate and admire their work. Being able to pay a specific compliment also helps you stand out from a sea of general niceties and pre-canned elevator pitches. Do your homework prior to the event if you know there are some attendees that you definitely want to connect with. Look through their work and find an aspect about their output that you genuinely admire. Your compliment can also be a springboard to talk about your own work related to the topic at hand. Find something in common Beyond talking about the industry you’re both in, finding something “normal” in common with the person you’re speaking with helps to cement a memorable conversation. Finding common ground based on where you’re both from, your favorite sports teams, favorite movies or television shows, or even a love of dogs or cats are all great ways to relate and connect with someone beyond industry talk. Finding common ground with someone helps to make you more relatable. It also subconsciously affiliates you with something the other person finds enjoyable, which leaves a positive impression on your interaction. Always follow-up Just like after a good first date, it’s important to follow up with any positive new connection you made at the networking event. Your follow-up should follow the same etiquette as after a first date. You don’t want to appear too eager, as that can come off as desperate. Wait at least a few days before reaching out to your new connection. Depending on how your conversation went, sending an email, connecting on LinkedIn, or even a phone call are all great ways to stay in touch. Keep your correspondence professional, and try to throw in a reference to something you remember from your conversation for extra brownie points.