From the course: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Networking

How to work the trade show to maximize your experience

From the course: The Ultimate Guide to Professional Networking

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How to work the trade show to maximize your experience

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- Master networkers know that any fool can create an agenda and any fool will follow it. That's because you can't lose sight of the prize, which is forging genuine human connections to build a lasting network that will pay off over the long haul. You're simply not going to do that if you spend a lot of time at official presentations and other less efficient time-sucking events. I want to share some tips to make sure you maximize your networking opportunities. First, only attend talks where you want to learn. Next, walk the show quickly and look for people you know or want to know. Don't get trapped by someone who just wants to sell you something and waste your time. Also, make sure you take breaks to take notes on your phone or in your planner so that you don't get overwhelmed and forget who's who. Always ask what others are doing and try to find those smaller events where the real networking happens. Remember to focus your time on smaller gatherings, parties, dinners, anything that's intimate. Keep in mind, it's all about quality over quantity. Coming home with three amazing new connections is better than a pile of 30 business cards. Follow up afterwards. The fortune is in the followup, as they say. Use these tips to make sure that your networking event doesn't become some sort of rote curriculum you follow in solitary fashion. Always focus on connections to make the most of these events.

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