networking follow up

Subscribe to networking follow up

Since our Regional Meeting of the Americas kicks off on Thursday, there’s no more appropriate time to check in with some networking tips than today! We’ve covered a lot of "to dos" when it comes to networking, so today, I thought we’d take a look at what we should avoid doing when it comes to networking, and how to fix any networking mistakes we might make. 

In early October, Mashable shared this great list of the 5 Worst Networking Flops, and How to Recover From Them. There are two that are particularly important for lawyers when networking, and those are the two we’ll focus on in today’s Two for Tuesdays. Add your big pet peeves for networking in the comments, and your suggestions for recovering from them! 

Flop One: Too Much "You" in the Conversation

Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you – you’re deep in conversation with someone you’ve just met (or even someone you know well), only to realize that you’ve been talking about yourself the whole time! What to do?Continue Reading Two for Tuesdays: Networking Mistakes

We’ve been full of networking tips here at Zen lately with the ILN’s European Regional Meeting happening last week. It’s only fitting that I sum that up with some post-conference networking suggestions on this week’s Two for Tuesdays!

Tip One: Connect & Share

Any time you leave a conference, whether it’s an ILN conference or not, it’s hard to keep the momentum going as you face a mountain of work and personal responsibilities. It seems to get more and more difficult to step away from the office these days – I know I’m always trying to prepare to leave and spending time catching up when I return, even when I’m checking in and working the entire time I’m away!

But forgetting to do a few simple things after a conference can really take away from all of the headway you’ve made in networking. So add in these few things to your to-do list today (force yourself to do one each day, rather than trying to do them all at once!) and it will make a big difference in your efforts. Continue Reading Two for Tuesdays: Post-Conference Networking

For today’s Two for Tuesdays, I want to look at two tips for following up after a networking event.  Finding the right event, with the right audience, and then meeting the right people are all essential parts to successful networking.  But it doesn’t matter if you meet a handful of great people at an event if you never speak to them again – the key is in the follow up. 

Tip One: Ask a Question

This tip comes from a great post on Life Hacker that suggests just that – follow up meeting a new person by asking them a question (which you’ve jotted down on their business card).  The reason is two-fold: 

  • First, it shows that you were really concentrating on what they were saying – as long as the question is relevant to them. It sets you apart as a good listener, and shows that you value building the relationship, and not just the number of contacts you have. It’s important to make sure that the question is a genuine one, and not just an excuse to keep talking, or it will likely have the opposite impact on your new relationship. 
     
  • Secondly, it keeps the conversation going.  Even when you send up a follow up email, unless there is a reason for the person to respond, they probably won’t. But if you ask a thoughtful question, there’s a reason for them to keep speaking with you, and the conversation can go from there. It may even become substantial enough to warrant a follow up meeting. 

Continue Reading Two for Tuesdays: Networking Follow-Up