Having great networking tips to get a strong network will help you to open the door to new opportunities. Unfortunately networking opportunities will not come to you, you have to go to them! Therefore you need to attend events, such as SFSU Marketing Expo, to have the right professional contacts that can help you in your career.
The trick to success is properly introducing yourself. It is about who you are and what you can do for others, without coming across as a self-promotional. Therefore Forbes gathered 10 useful networking tips to make a great first impression which will be useful at the next SFSU Marketing Expo.
10 networking tips to make a great first impression
- Build genuine personal connection – don’t take over the conversation, instead ask questions to get know the other person.
- Smile – by smiling you are more open and welcoming. This results in a positive first impression.
- Show that you are listening – when you join a conversation make a comment that shows you were listening to the current group.
- Be yourself and don’t try to sell – do your homework on which connections make sense for you to get in touch with and stay yourself.
- Research attendees and come prepared with questions – get those questions ready that helps you to learn about others.
- Bring a friend – create synergy by talking each other up during a conversation.
- Be curious – people love to talk about themselves. Be curious about the other person, this shows the other that you are interested in the topic.
- Introduce yourself with an anecdote that resonates – make your intro spiel personal. People will see you’re genuine and it will resonate.
- Learn how you can help each new connection – keep always the question “how can I help?” in mind.
- Don’t have a strict agenda and try to make a new friend – if you go with strict goals, it’s likely to become uncomfortable. Just be authentic and simply try to make new friends.
Stick to those tips and you’ll notice that networking is fun. We hope to see you at our next SFSU Marketing expo!