Do you find networking events intimidating? It’s not just you. Even though I’m pretty outgoing and at ease in a crowd, it takes a lot of guts to walk up to groups of people and insert yourself into a conversation! And here’s a shocking admission – sometimes I find networking events to be tedious! Saying the same elevator speech about your business over and over…and just having surface conversations…it can wear you down and make you wonder if it’s even worth it to go to these things. But not anymore.

If you’ve ever felt this way about networking events, here are a few tips for ensuring that they are not a waste of time and will actually lead to productive, quality relationships.

Before you go…

First and foremost – practice talking about your business! As a small business owner, one of the most powerful tools up your sleeve is your elevator pitch. When someone asks you who you are, what you do, and what you’re about, you should have an answer ready to go. Think about it beforehand, and don’t be afraid to practice it. The more you say it, the more comfortable it is, and the more natural it will sound in a professional setting. And yes, you will be saying it A LOT and it will sound repetitive…to YOU. But just remember – this is the first time others are hearing you talk about your business, so deliver it with gusto!

Next, make it a point to set your intention for the event. Who do you want to meet? What kind of industries do you want to connect with? What kind of individuals do your products and services serve? Think about what kind of power partners you need.

What’s a power partner? Glad you asked. A power partner is someone in an industry that aligns with yours – someone you could share customers with. For example, a real estate agent and a mortgage broker can be a power partner. A marketing expert and a graphic designer is another one. You want someone in a tangential industry that you trust and can refer your clients to, and vice versa. Figure out what kind of power partner you’re looking for so you can seek to find them at your event (and don’t forget that you could also find someone who can LEAD to a power partner if you don’t find one directly).

While you’re there…

Before you develop social anxiety, remember that everyone is at the event to meet people. So set the record straight: you are not bothering anyone, and it’s not awkward to just join a conversation. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself – you don’t know what value you can bring to someone until you meet them.

If you tend to fall into the trap of finding people you already know and talking to them the whole time, set a challenge for yourself. Decide you’re going to go introduce yourself to 5 strangers before you sit and talk to your friend. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone with your connections, you’ll never be able to grow the way you want.

Another tip I find helpful is to not worry about making sales while networking. The point is to connect and get to know people – if there’s business to be done, you can exchange info and connect on it later. People will tell you if they’re looking for someone like you, you don’t need to push yourself onto them. Just let them know what you do and you can chat later if it makes sense to do so.

And one final thing – treat everyone with equal value while you’re there. The person you want to dismiss as unimportant is likely the most important person in the room. Even if there’s staff working the event, you make a fantastic impression by treating everyone as if they have value (because they do).

After you leave…

Don’t forget to follow up! The entire night was wasted if you didn’t follow up on the conversations you had. If they gave you a business card, shoot them a call or an email. If they connected with you on LinkedIn, shoot them a message. Don’t let them forget who you are.

Unless they’ve expressed direct interest in buying what you’re selling, there’s still no need to move directly into a sale right away. The point is to foster the relationship that can lead to business in the future.

And that, my friend, is intentional networking. Have a plan going in, execute the plan while you’re there, and have a plan for your followup. When I learned that, it demystified the whole idea of networking, and that made it a lot more fun to grow my business.

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