July’s Young MCA event was a fun and interactive session which provided attendees with an opportunity to develop their approach and style to networking.
The session was delivered by Lee Warren– a corporate trainer for over 10 years and one of the UK’s most popular magicians.
Lee provided insight into the breadth of attributes which make a successful networker, in addition to the networking pitfalls that many of us fall into. He reminded us to think about our own ‘Personal Brand’ when interacting at events.
Key Takeaways:
- Genuinely engage with who you are speaking with and remember that body language and tone are key to a successful interaction;
- Remember you are creating a personal brand. Think about how would you like to be perceived, act on this and make sure you approach a conversation with this in mind
- Listen. Successful networkers take time to listen to the person their speaking to. Relate to the individual you are speaking with and find a common interest through the way you structure both open and closed questions. This creates a more interpersonal style of networking but also makes the conversation more relaxed and natural;
- Remember the name of the individual you are speaking with. It is often helpful at the end of the conversation to repeat their name before you part;
There is always an opportunity to develop your networking skills whether in a professional or personal capacity. From a development perspective, the key is to think about how networking supports both your own development and the development of your organisation (e.g. with clients).
Written by Ed Wallace, Consultant at iMPOWER and Young MCA Steering Committee Member.
This article was written for the Young MCA Summer 2014 e-newsletter.