Networking is an essential element of building a brand and growing your business as an artist. Actually, networking well is an essential element of building a brand and growing your business as an artist. It is very important that you regularly take time to attend different events, connect and build relationships with various types of people. As you grow even more, at times you may find yourself having to attend events dolo. Alternatively, even if you have a strong team, all members may not be able to go with you to every event due to other committments. Furthermore, if you have a team to attend events with, you don’t want to just talk with them the whole time.
If you’re naturally shy or awkward talking with strangers, this could pose a serious problem. It can be hard to talk to people you don’t know. Some find it even more difficult to walk into a room where they don’t know anyone, let alone attending an event dolo and then networking with folks there.
So what do you do when you find yourself in a room full of interesting people and you’re scary to talk and network with folks?
In this post, I’m going to give y’all 5, quick non-conventional tips for networking at events where you don’t know a single body. As I’ve mentioned in my previous Tips post (Read: 5 Project Management Tips For Your Next Album Release), thanks to my mama and grandma, most of the tips I’m going to give y’all are pretty much common sense. They both use to sometimes say “sense ain’t common in everybody”. And to keep it real, there have been days when I’ve even asked myself “what in the world I do that for?”
Take one or three of these tips, put them to use and be better prepared the next time you feel scary about having to attend and network at an event where you don’t know anyone.
1. Set The Intention To Network Before You Step Foot In The Building
Usually when I do top 5 posts, the items are in no particular order. This post is the exception, because making up your mind to do something before you actually do it is very powerful. Remember on Rick Ross’ Rich Forever mixtape and the title track “Rich Forever” featuring John Legend where Ross rapped, “I remember being blind to it / till the day I put my mind to it…” ? There is truth in Rick Ross’ lyrics.
Setting the intention in your mind that you are actually going to do something (network), before you do the something (network), increases the likelihood that you are actually going to do the something (network).
Before you walk into the event, make up your mind that you are going to meet, talk with and network with three people that you don’t know. Setting the intention will also give you a confidence boost and may help with feelings of nervousness.
2. Don’t Get Wasted The Night Before The Event
Come on son, how do you expect to be at your tip top, most mentally sharp self if you’re cotton-mouthed and foggy-headed from getting super wasted the night before an important event?
This tip is especially important if the event you are going to attend is first thing in the morning. If you’re already feeling anxious about networking, being hungover is not going to help your nervousness or fear of networking in a room of strangers. It may actually hold you back, because instead of wanting to speak with folks you’ll want to sit in a corner. Or worse, stay home in bed nursing a pounding headache.
Don’t let your party habits keep your brand from prospering.
3. Keep Your Cellphone In Your Pocket or Purse
If you’re at an event and don’t have anything to say to someone (or want to network but feel too scary to do it), it is so tempting to be on your smartphone and check emails, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Making your cellphone less accessible takes away the tendency to try and “look busy” in a crowd by playing with your phone. You should attend a business event to meet people, learn and network. Tweeting, F’acebooking, Instagraming, etc. a couple of times is cool but don’t make it a habit. My mama says that “human beings speak to one another.” You can’t do that at an event if you’re social networking the whole time.
4. Stay In The Lobby During Sessions
This tip is especially helpful for conferences. Be familiar enough with the conference schedule so that you can skip a couple of sessions. Take the time instead to hang or relax in the lobby or general gathering area of the conference. You’ll find other folks who decided to take a break from the presentations just like yourself.
These self-imposed breaks are a good time to meet people, talk and network because the lobby/general area will be more quiet, relaxed and less chaotic versus when the area is packed with folks, like it is between major session breaks. I have made several great connections by using this strategy.
An alternative to this tip centers around if you are staying in the same hotel that the conference or event is being held in. If so, wake up, get dressed and be ready for the day one or two hours early. Go down to the lobby or general gathering area of the conference, sit and/or work on your laptop. Some business people are early risers and like to began their day early. As stated above, the lobby/general area will be more quiet, relaxed and less chaotic then it is when the area is packed with folks. This provides a great opportunity to network without additional pressure.
5. Know That You Are Not Alone
This tip is a reminder that you are not the only person at an event who is shy and nervous about meeting new people. Attending events dolo and where you don’t know anyone but need to network can be intimidating. Don’t let your fear of either hold you back.
Be well groomed, stand up straight, make eye contact with folks and say “Hi” or “Hello”. You don’t even have to start with “Hello, my name is …” Once you make eye contact with someone, a smile and simple “Hello” can go a long way. You can then further spark conversation by asking what the other person thinks of the event so far or what upcoming sessions they may sit in on and what interests them about it.
If the person obviously doesn’t want to talk with you or is rude, don’t try to force conversation, be deterred or worse, be like Red from ‘Friday’ and go cry in the car. Politely excuse yourself, take a deep breath and move on to the next person.
Do you have questions or comments about the above tips? Non-conventional tips of your own that you use for networking at events where you don’t know anyone?
I’d like to hear from you. Leave a comment below, Tweet me @nancioishiphop or drop an email to nancioishiphop@gmail.com.