When Networking, Let Them do the Talking (But Be Prepared with Questions to Ask)

Most entrepreneurs know the

importance of networking. Early on in my business start up, when I lived in

California, I joined NAWBO, and each month I looked forward to the general

dinner meetings where women entrepreneurs would gather and discuss their

companies, successes, and obstacles.

At each event I was seated

with a new group of people. I made a lot of contacts during these meetings, and

I left with many phone numbers of those who could help and whom I could help.

Some professionals believe

networking events are for talking – telling people about your company, what you

can do for them, and what you can offer. And while this is true to a point, Maribeth

Kuzmeski, author of The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful

Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life, says those

attending networking events should also be listening.

“Thankfully, networking is a

skill that can be mastered with the right motivation,” she says. “Great

networkers are capable of leaving something behind with everyone they encounter

– a thought, a memory, or a connection.” This is what you need to do if you

are in the market for a new job. You want to make strong connections, which

means becoming a relationship builder. “You want to be the first person who

comes to mind when someone in your network hears about a great job opening.”

However, because networking

can be nerve-wracking, at times those involved tend to fill any silence with nervous

chatter. “There’s nothing worse than coming away from a great networking

opportunity realizing that you can’t remember a single person’s name or a

single helpful thing that was said,” Kuzmeski says.

To avoid this, be prepared beforehand by

creating a mental list of questions that will help you get the conversation

moving – and then be prepared to remember what you have learned. I often took

along a spiral bound notebook to record important elements of the meetings I

attended. I would also use this notebook to jot down the names of the people that I met. Beside each name I included their business type and/or name and something they said that might spur further conversation, which I could do through a phone call or later meeting, or even ideas about future articles I might want to write. I could then use these contacts as references.

• How did you get started in

  your career?

• I’ve been wanting to ask

  this question to someone with more experience than I. What do you think about .

  . . ? and then complete this question with current events, business, etc.

• Tell me about yourself. This might include family or other facts to help you

  establish a better understanding of the person.

When conversation gets flowing,

Kuzmeski suggests these questions:

• What’s the best thing that

  has happened to your business this year?

• What’s one thing you’ve done

  to change your career?

• What will you never do in

  your business again?

• What’s your biggest

  challenge?

Kuzmeski says that once the

question has been answered, follow up with a secondary question that encourages

the person to explain more. “The more he talks and you listen, the more he will

like you because you are showing genuine interest in him. Pretty soon, he will

be asking you questions, and a valuable business connection will have been

made.”