Lockton recently held a networking event as a part of the Women in Leadership program for some of the females here and a few of my teammates were able to attend. Maureen and Wendy were really jazzed about the tips and tricks they learned and wanted to share. Here are some of the highlights from speaker Denise Mills. (Check her out if you have some time!)
First of all, what is networking?
Networking is connecting through relationships for the purpose of helping another.
Second, what’s the point of networking?
- For knowledge, new insights, professional or personal service needs and to accomplish goals
- For career opportunities, to align goals, meet industry trend-setters, choose mentors, to navigate culture
- For business development, to educate community, industry trend-setters, to seek mentors
Third, how do I effectively network?
According to Mills, successful networking takes planning. (Just like in any other area of our lives!)Before heading to a networking opportunity know who will be there, who you want to meet and what you want to get from meeting them. Make a Top 10-20 list and do some pre-creeping. (You know, check them out on LinkedIn or Twitter.) If you aren’t a planner, once arriving to the event ask the hosts or the people working the check-in table: “If you were me, who would you …”. Also come up with a few relevant questions to ask your targets (and prepare your own answers to those questions).
Once you are there, stop and take a minute to look around and make your plan of attack. (Please don’t actually attack fellow networkers! Not a good strategy!)Make the necessary small talk and ask your questions. It’s helpful to tie current events to your business and ask for advice. Let your target start and then relate your business to them. Don’t forget to be memorable. Use stories and be relatable.
Networking skills are essential in all areas of life and HR tech is really no exception. Many of the resources we are able to bring to bear for our employer clients are either connections we make or answers we find through networking events like Cornerstone on Demands’ Convergence 2014 where I’m currently at in San Diego. These events help us penetrate complex vendor organizations with networking opportunities ahead of our clients’ needs.