Networking Sins to Avoid

Article contributed by Robyn Henderson.

People often offend others and never know it. When you are new to attending networking events it is so easy to unknowingly make a mistake and jeopardise a business building opportunity.

So lets look at some of the definite networking sins to avoid.

• If you have booked to attend an event and then find you cannot attend on the day, send a replacement. Most organizers are charged for no-shows and most will send you an invoice for your non-attendance. NEVER no-show and then refuse to pay for your ticket especially if you begged the organiser to save you a place and said you would definitely be there. No excuse if you got a better offer. Put yourself in the host’s shoes.
• Remember to turn off your mobile phone during the function. There is only one thing worse than a great speaker being interrupted by a phone or pager, and that’s when the person answers the call and starts to have a loud conversation. This is a really quick way to turn the whole group against you. Besides, it’s very rude.
• If you are a smoker check the rules on smoking inside the function. Most functions these days have designated smoke free zones.
• Don’t go unprepared. Do your homework on the group you are attending. Know something about their history, their mission, how long they have been operating.
• If you just want a meal go to a restaurant. Don’t waste the time of serious networkers who are looking to grow their businesses. Decide prior to booking what you want to get out of attending each particular function.
• Don’t join a group the first time you attend. Attend at least two meetings before you officially join any group. Get to know some of the people, let them get to know you. If it is not your perfect fi t, move on. There are unlimited networking groups starting up all the time. Find the one that suits your requirements.
• Once you do join attend regularly. The more people see you, build rapport with you and start to develop trust with you, the more business you will generate. Don’t be an inactive member who never attends events and then complains that the network was a waste of time or money because no business was generated from it.

• Don’t be discourteous. Excuse yourself politely if you find the people you are speaking to do not interest you or, more importantly, do not appear to be interested in you. Look for a friendly face and introduce yourself to someone else.
• Don’t arrive late unless it simply cannot be avoided. Plan always to arrive on time. Latecomers arriving with two friends and expecting to sit together can be disappointed when they find only single seats left. The organisers will certainly remember you negatively if you demand to sit together when that can only be done by reseating others.
• If you arrive early and the organisers are not quite ready, please don’t complain. You don’t know what has caused the delay for them-possibly the hotel had a late room turnaround and this may have caused the delay. Offer assistance to the host. Maybe you could meet and greet visitors, assist with the registration desk, put out brochures. The host may decline your offer, but they will definitely remember you.
• If you don’t enjoy the guest speaker’s presentation, don’t decide to give your own presentation at your table and start a loud conversation in competition with the speaker. Pay the speaker and host the compliment of being courteous
• Don’t swear or blaspheme – this is inappropriate behaviour.
• Don’t treat the ten-second self-introduction as a two minute commercial. People will switch off and you will leave a negative impression.
• Unless you are the host you do not have to speak to everyone in the room when there are more than twenty people attending. Do not ‘work’ the room. Rather have a small number of quality conversations with the people who cross your path. Leave a positive image with these people and they will spread the word for you.
• Don’t leave early unless it is absolutely necessary. Some of the best networking opportunities happen when you arrive early and leave late.
• Don’t act like a shark. I am sure you have seen people who ‘work the room’ by prowling around reading the name tags only, never making eye contact until they find a victim. Then they pounce. These people are so obvious; most people can see through their behaviour and avoid them at all costs.
• Don’t forget the golden rule in the networking environment- we earn the right to gain business by doing something for someone else first.
• Don’t expect people to place an order with you just because you introduced yourself to them. You must earn the right to gain their business.
• Don’t drop names of people that you don’t know and pretend you do. The networking world is very small. You can be caught out quickly. At the same time do not bad-mouth others. You are sure to offend someone in the group.
• Don’t lie about anything. Trust is critical in the networking environment. If you are caught out with a lie you will do irreparable damage to your reputation.
• Don’t jump in when there are pauses in conversation. Pauses are fine-let the other person jump in first, maybe they are thinking about their answer.

KEY POINT. You never know who the person you are chatting to might be connected to. To date, I have never seen anyone wearing a sign saying, Be really nice to me because although I don’t look important to you right now, I am going to introduce you to your next largest client.

At networking events always treat people the way you would like to be treated.