The only reason I might attend a networking event these days is to witness and study the seven desperations of man… or woman.
They are, in no particular order: –
Fear, frustration, falseness, sweaty palms, an inability to maintain eye contact, desperation, strained conversation.
Going to one of these gatherings with the aim of selling, talking at, or at least leaving a bunch of business cards is so three times wrong it’s a criminal waste of oxygen, energy and time… yours and theirs.
How many times have you witnessed it, or been the perpetrator?
Networking events are almost always full of people who want to sell, not people who want to buy. If you’re going to be there, be there with a purpose that’s sets you apart and makes you stand out from the crowd if you want to be remembered.
Here’s a useful phrase to hold in your head as you walk into the next arena of desperate souls, ask yourself this… “How am I positioned to help some of the people in this room?” “What, or who is it that I know that can assist someone here to get what they want?”
Put the word host in your head, let that intention shape your thoughts and language and figure out a way to help someone, not sell them.
In that way you’ll avoid the smell of fear, panic and desperation about you, and cultivate the air of someone who’s confident, open and trustworthy… not the usual qualities you often witness in individuals at such cattle markets.
Cheers
Ants
