Although social media is making connections with strangers online easier, there is still a need to make personal connections out in the real world. Attending a business networking event is the perfect way to become skilled at introducing yourself to other people face-to-face. Effective networking is about establishing, mutually beneficial relationships with other people. When it’s done well, networking will give you a competitive edge throughout every stage of your career. Below we have compiled some strategies to help your networking event introductions work smoothly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When\nyou choose to approach new people, it helps to have a subtle icebreaker beyond\nthe typical elevator pitch. Subtle icebreakers allow you the right moment to\nintroduce yourself and engage in a flowing conversation without being too\nforceful or overbearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before\napproaching someone, double-check that you aren\u2019t interrupting them if they are\nconversing with someone else, this helps to engage with them effectively. It\nhelps when the first words out of your mouth are about how you and the person\nare connected. Unfortunately, that is not always possible, so here are some\nother icebreaker ideas on what to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With\ndifferent meetings and events happening, you\u2019ll likely see familiar faces. Use\nthe functions as a chance of becoming a conversation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:\n<\/strong>\u201cDidn\u2019t I see you at (name of\nthe event)?\u201d and then follow it up with something that you liked about that\nevent and ask for the person\u2019s opinion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This\nworks well because it points out something that you have in common and allows\nthem to share their thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Events\noften include food, and if you ever find yourself in a buffet line with someone\nthat you\u2019d like to meet, you can use the food to your advantage. Stating\nsomething such as \u201cthis food looks great, I don\u2019t know which to choose\u201d can be\na very subtle and efficient way to get a conversation flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\nkind of comment allows the other person to give suggestions and advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When\nyou\u2019re in a group of people, it\u2019s helpful to have a few real-life stories to\npull from when an opportunity presents itself. For instance, if something happens\nwith the group that reminds you of something else you can state, \u201cThat reminds\nme of \u2026.\u201d and then fill in with a similar story that relates to the context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\nallows you to chime in without being out of place. It also allows you to slip\nin information about yourself that can lead to further questions and\nconversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If\nyou and the person that you would like to meet are both at an event hosted by a\nmutual party, you can use that connection to help you to engage in conversation.\nIntroduce yourself by explaining how you know the host and how long you have\nknown them, and then asking them how they met the host. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now\nyou\u2019ll both be talking about social connections with the host and be able to\nengage in further conversation by asking questions to help keep the\nconversation flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At\nyour next networking event, try one of these icebreakers to see which one works\nbest for you and the different situations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although social media is making connections with strangers online easier, there is still a need to make personal connections out<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":1442,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"post_function":[],"post_audience":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1441","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-article"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. Using food can be a great icebreaker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Have Stories Ready<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Make Personal Connections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n