Whether you are in college, freshly graduated or have been in the business for fifty years, networking will always be a valuable tool in business. These events can come in various shapes and forms but all have the ultimate goal of bringing people of similar interests together to create mutually beneficial professional relationships.

A couple of tricky questions that often come up is how to prepare for a networking event, how to act at an event and what to do following an event – but fear not! Simply follow these 7 tips and you will be connected with your new colleagues in professional and memorable ways.

• Do Your Research: If it is available, request a copy of the guest list in advance. Use this list to do your own research on the individuals and/or companies that will be present at the event. Find what their positions are, what projects or initiatives they are involved with or known for, and look for any information that could spark up casual but professional conversation in a business setting.
• Brainstorm Memorable Closings: Before the event, come up with a catch phrase or line that can be used when closing or finishing up a conversation. This can be a simple way to encourage the exchange of business cards or a way to encourage a follow up action from a more immediate connection you have made. This should not be rehearsed but should be some simple key words that can help you stay on track, such as “It was great meeting you, can we get together for coffee sometime?”
• Be Yourself: Networking is about selling you, not someone else. Act like you would at a job interview; be professional but be true to yourself. Do not over compensate and don’t sugar coat your abilities or your experiences. You will find that other professionals are more likely to reach out to a genuine individual as opposed to someone they feel they cannot relate to.
• Be Interested: Really take the time to listen to what the other person is saying, and ask follow up questions that show you’re interested. Just don’t ask too many questions all at once – you don’t want them to feel like they’re being interrogated!
• Be Kind, Courteous and Professional: Remember that first impressions can last a lifetime. While this is a social event, it is still a way to build business relationships and should be treated as such. If the event is a cocktail hour, this doesn’t mean you should fit as many cocktails as possible into that hour. Show your maturity and your level of professionalism. These connections could be your next boss or client.
• Send Thank You Notes: When you have left the event, immediately take an inventory of all of the contacts you collected and write out (long hand) thank you notes for each of the connections you made, referencing something you discussed in your conversation if possible. Do this on the same day of the event and put them by your front door. Leaving them somewhere you can see them will help you remember to take them along for mailing at the first chance you get. Receiving a hand written note in a digital age of emails will set you apart from others.
• Follow Up: Continue to follow up with these contacts and stay in touch via email, calls and coffee meetings, etc. Don’t let them forget you and your potential.

These simple tricks will help you make a successful and memorable impression at networking events, and will likely lead to new opportunities. After all it’s not always what you know but who you know. Do you have any insight to add? Share them in the comments below!

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