Preparing for a networking event

How to prepare for a networking event? Our checklist

Will you be attending a breakfast conference, afterwork or trade show in the near future? Spoiler: arriving with your business cards won't be enough to develop your professional network. To get the most out of your attendance, we've put together a checklist of things you need to do to prepare for a networking event (and reap the rewards).

1- Set concrete objectives

First, play detective and find out who will be attending the event. If you don't have this information, you can sketch a portrait of the people you'd like to meet at the event: their jobs, the sectors in which they operate, their hierarchical levels, etc. Make a list of all the people you'd like to get in touch with and what they could bring you: contacts, information, etc.

Be daring, think big and prioritise the quality of your exchanges. Which strategy do you think works best? Introduce yourself to 25 guests and talk small talk with each of them for 2 minutes, or talk in detail with 6 guests for 10 minutes?

With your objectives in mind, you also avoid the easy solution when you get there. The one where you spend the evening with acquaintances, colleagues or former colleagues who already make up your professional circle. Of course, you'll be in your comfort zone with the people you like. But if you want to expand your professional network, you'll have to reach out to strangers.

Don't forget to write down the names of the people you meet and the information they give you on your smartphone or in a notebook. The risk if you neglect this? You'll end up with a handful of business cards and no memory of shared interests.

2 - Introducing yourself to the other guests before the meeting

It's particularly important for you to get to know some of the people attending, and the event is bringing together a large number of guests. Why not send them a private message on LinkedIn a few days beforehand to prepare for the networking event?

Introduce yourself briefly and offer to talk at greater length on the day. Your ‘targets’ will even be able to consult your profile and identify your common contacts. What's more, it will be much easier for you to approach them when the time comes. The success of your participation depends on your ability to stand out from the crowd, and this action will help you to do that.

3 - Knowing and adapting your pitch is one way of preparing for a networking event

The aim of a networking event is the same for everyone: to present yourself and your career path in a way that enhances your professionnal network. 

Your speech should highlight your key experiences and have that ‘’little something‘’ that will endear you to your audience. If your career path includes something unusual, such as an unusual expatriation destination, don't hesitate to mention it. You'll be remembered more easily. Adjust your presentation according to the people listening to you and what might interest them in your profile.

Once the introductions have been made, use open-ended questions to find out more about your party partners. For example, ‘What is the reason that led you to take part in this afterwork?’

Be careful: too much self-promotion can damage your reputation. The network approach will be more successful if you are open and willing to listen.

Don't forget to check your watch regularly. Once the initial conversations have started, time will fly and you need to keep your objectives in mind. You can even visualise the ideal course of the event. While remaining courteous, know how to skilfully leave a conversation that is running out of steam.

4 - Choosing the right clothing

How should you dress for a networking evening? Depending on the venue, you'll have some valuable clues about what to wear. Dress varies depending on where you're going - you don't dress the same for a palace as for a barge. Also check whether the event is taking place indoors or outdoors.

You need to feel at ease as you move from one discussion to the next, so choose clothes that give you confidence. You can also wear an accessory or piece of jewellery that will make it easier for the audience to remember you. Avoid black, which will probably be worn by most of the guests.

5 - Training in the art and craft of networking with experts

It's not just business people who need to work on their networking. Whatever your age, gender or level of education, whether you're an entrepreneur or an employee, learning networking strategies is essential for your career development. It's often when we need to call on our network that we realise we haven't cultivated it enough.

There are many techniques that are not widely used, even though they produce clear results and can radically change the trajectory of an asset. That's why we teach them at the Networking Premium Group.

The event is over, and it's time to take stock. Were some meetings more memorable than others? Now it's up to you to turn them into lasting relationships, continue the dialogue via the LinkedIn platform, for example.

To learn all the expert networking techniques, visit our training pages.

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