4 More Uncommon Tips for Your Next Networking Event

Skip the superficial connections to advance your personal brand and start building real relationships.

It’s one thing to be told that attending networking events is essential for building your professional personal brand, it’s another to know what to do when you get there.

Following on from last week, this is Part 2 of uncommon tips and tricks to try at your next networking event. Skip the generic advice and consider these subtle details to make a lasting impression on your professional personal brand.

1. Take a selfie with your new contact

This was one of my favourite gems from personal branding guru, Mike Kim’s book, You Are the Brand. My personal branding coaching clients always love hearing the idea too. It’s so simple, yet so effective. Once you’ve sparked up a great connection at your next networking event, ask to take a photo with your new contact. These days, as everyone posts on LinkedIn, it’s completely reasonable. Yet, more than just connecting your profiles on LinkedIn, you now have an opening to slide into their DMs or to send them a direct text. Yes, it’s much like dating, but for professionals.  

A photo and a follow-up conversation sets the stage for a much more lasting first impression of your professional personal brand and an ongoing relationship. 

2. Keep a ‘Birthday Book'

To be fair, the next networking tip can probably be updated to keeping a birthday note on your phone or updating your digital diary. But, it’s a unique idea from the 1936 iconic classic by Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Carnegie highlights the importance of being interested in others. He would make a point to try to find out people’s birthdays when meeting them, then would show his interest and appreciation for others on their most special day. 

3. Make it your mission to remember names 

There are more pearls of wisdom to be found in How to Win Friends and Influence People. This one is so simple that you might wonder why it’s worth mentioning. Yet, we’ve all been there. You can forget a name almost as soon as you hear it. Especially if it’s particularly unique.

As Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name?”As it turns out, a lot. Carnegie emphasises why remembering names is so essential: 

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

Carnegie describes recalling someone's name as a subtle and very effective compliment. 

While this deliberate technique may appear to lack sincerity, it is far from the case. As Carnegie repeatedly reminds you:

“The principles taught in this book will work only when they come from the heart. I am not advocating a bag of tricks. I am talking about a new way of life."

Carnegie calls for you to become genuinely interested in others. I, now,  personally make a point to always try and repeat someone's name back to them, especially if it is difficult to pronounce or if I sincerely missed it among the many introductions that can all come at once when you’re at an event. I’ll ask for their name again if needed. I’d rather spend the rest of the event using that person’s name than awkwardly trying to work around it. Because, while you might think you’re stealthily swerving around your misstep, they’ve likely noticed.  

4. Add value to their life 

This is my own personal recommendation to my personal brand coaching clients. When you meet someone - whether it’s a new or existing contact, genuinely listen. Listen for what they are interested in at the moment. What they are working on. What they have mentioned they need help with. Perhaps, you’re familiar with a piece of software they mentioned they want to try - send them the links or what you know about it. Perhaps, there’s a book they were interested in reading. Following up with the details in case they can’t recall it. 

This approach isn’t about trying to progress your personal brand. It’s about building real relationships that are centred around serving other people. About asking what value you can provide outside of your self-interest. This isn’t about selling your services or product. It’s about connecting your knowledge, interests and experience to where it can add value to their goals. 

So, the next time you're at a network event, skip the superficial connections to advance your personal brand and start building real relationships.