How to avoid missing opportunities to grow your business
I have attended more networking events over the last 10 years than I can count. They have always been mixed events and I am usually on the door with name tags welcoming attendees.
Like in any other situation you begin to notice how people first immerse themselves into the space and the gathering.
You have your introverts, extroverts, ambiverts and your bathroom goers, your phone lookers, your jump right-ins, your corner goers and your turn up laters. Everyone deals with an unfamiliar situation differently and that is absolutely OK.
There is often a difference in the way men and women and women and women, and men and men engage.
There are certainly differences in how a conversation starts between women where usually the initial engagement is about getting to know the person before the business. Men generally are more comfortable in going to the business subjects first.
Often this results in the initial engagement between a man and a woman being less certain, with common ground or a start point harder to find.
“Does it really matter whatever the approach?”
I think it does matter because if it is a truth that building a relationship first will more likely lead to finding a client, referrer, supplier or like-minded collaborator or friend then I think Men should think about how they first engage with a woman or a man at a networking event.
I think that women should also consider going to more mixed events to amplify their reach.
Open and "be interested "questions about who you are talking to is the key …..not what they do.
Women are superb at this because they are genuinely interested in Who is in front of them and then Why they do what they do. Building the foundation of a potential relationship is respectful and considered and most likely a more interesting and rewarding spend of your networking time.
Men (not all) often go straight to questions that could become a really a quick assessment of the persons potential to them. This runs the risk of missing out on 80% of the story and the wider network that surrounds the person in front of them and will likely lead to a missed opportunity to find a client, referrer, supplier or like-minded collaborator or friend.
So, I maintain that women are superb networkers at events and generally.... and we should all consider a change of approach when first striking up a conversation so the focus in on Who is in front of us, Why they do what they do and then perhaps the business they do.
Give it a try and reap the benefits.
Remember :
Build a relationship before talking business
Be interested and ask open questions
Amplify your reach
Want to check if you have all your bases covered in accessing opportunities to grow your business? Take this 4 minute test and identify your strengths and weaknesses HERE
Leigh Powell is a business strategist and mentor at yourtimematters.com.au. Your Time Matters has been running mixed professional development and networking events for over 9 years.
