I was at a chamber of commerce event last night with over 70 booths and lots of attendees. Many people came by our booth and chatted with us about coaching, our new program we are launching and having assessments done. Having chocolate is never a bad thing, so a big container of Hershey’s miniature chocolates on our table was also a big draw. I met people who were already helping people in their businesses, some who were looking to learn from others, others who were just curious and then there were some who just wanted to share their stories.
I have written many networking blogs to help people prepare themselves for these type of events. Start by introducing yourself and sharing who you are, what you do, what help you need or what you are interested in doing. Just have a short 30 second speech ready to go. The more you say it, the easier it becomes. Then you can transition into asking about them. Ask them what they do, where they are located, how did they get into their job or business, how long have they been in it, what challenges do they have, etc. Simple questions that are open ended are the best and allow for the best conversations.
These same lessons can apply when you are at any type of gathering where there are people that you don’t know well. The questions may change depending on the setting that you are in, but the intention should be the same. You are trying to quickly build a connection with this person that can be mutually beneficial for both of you. Just keep it very simple. Share your story, be interested in the other person, ask questions and listen to their story. Everyone has a story and they are happy to tell it. You never know what you may learn, who they may know that can help you or who you may know that can help them.
We are kicking off a brand new 6 week group coaching program in August called “Powerful Leadership.” The focus is on helping you take your leadership to the next level. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to me and I can share the details!