We've all done it. Dreamt up scenes where you bump into just the right person to help launch your career, but most of us know that doesn't happen in real life, so we attend networking events.
The problem is networking events are some of the only gatherings where people join together for a common interest, and yet are still so disconnected. Why is that? Because most people go to networking events to talk about themselves. They go to sell whatever it is they're selling, or to get their next job and then never talk to anybody they met there again.
Ten years ago, I started The Art of Active Networking to help people connect. First of all, I will say that we don't discourage promoting yourself. Everybody has to; it's how we establish a business presence. At our events, everybody has an opportunity to share about themselves in a roundtable format about who they are, what they do (or want to be doing), and what they're passionate about. Afterwards, you're encouraged to engage and connect with them. That said, if there's anything I want you to take away from this it's this:
Provide value to others and always be giving!
Be quick to listen, and the last to speak. If you're selling something, hold back. Use what you learn about your conversation partner to provide value to them (hint: this is where you can talk about yourself). I promise you, if you take a genuine interest in someone, they will reciprocate.
If that sounds like the kind of networking event you've been hoping for, our next San Francisco event is tomorrow, June 5th at The Box SF (1069 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103) from 6:45pm to 9:45pm, then on June 7th we do it all again at the amazing BERG event space in Kansas City!
Get your tickets now: HTTP://WWW.THEARTOFACTIVENETWORKING.COM
Come see why over 15,000 people have attended in 5 countries and 17 cities worldwide!
Be Well, Be Creative, Be Great, Be Giving!Mark E. Sackett
415-602-9500
MarkESackett.com
The Art of Active Networking
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