Try these 4 uncommon networking event tips (Part 1)

Skip the generic advice for networking to build your  personal brand. Learn the finer details for making a lasting first impression. 

There’s plenty of discussion around the importance of networking when building your personal brand. But, much less about what to do once you get there, or what to do after.

If networking is high on your personal brand priorities, try these uncommon networking tips at your next event. These are the nuanced details of networking that not enough people talk about. 

1. Have a ‘flooding smile’

In How to Talk to Anyone , Leil Lowndes shares the smile coaching advice you didn’t know you needed.

She says: 

“Big Winners know their smile is one of their most powerful weapons, so they’ve fine-tuned it for maximum impact.”

Big Winners don’t just flash a smile to anyone. They’ve mastered the ‘flooding smile’. 

Studies have surprisingly shown that women who were slower to smile in corporate life were perceived as more credible. This isn’t about not smiling, it’s about smiling genuinely. 

A delay of even less than a second conveys more sincerity. Instead of a fake grin, a flooding smile engulfs your face like a warm wave crashing over the recipient it’s directed to. I’ll add the key is being interested in people and waiting for that moment, rather than just trying to appear interested.

2. Engage your ‘sticky eyes’

I once had some peers mention how disappointed they were when they met a new key stakeholder in the industry. These were professionals with impressive careers and even better personalities to match. Yet, they were disappointed when the first impression of the person they had been waiting to meet fell flat. Why? Because the person had wondering eyes. Within minutes, they seemed much more interested in the next person they could talk to than being present in the conversation. 

Your eyes, can let your relationships down, or they can be your personal brand’s secret weapon. As Lowndes says: 

“Your eyes are personal grenades that have the power to detonate people’s emotions.”

This goes beyond generic advice to keep good eye contact. They understand this intimidates some. And in some cultures, it’s even threatening and disrespectful. But, in the right context, eye contact can skyrocket your charisma. Enter: ‘stick eyes’.

‘Sticky eyes’ stick like warm toffee. It doesn’t fall off as soon as the speaker stops speaking. It takes time to peel away. 

Yale University research has shown the more eye contact, the more positive the feelings. 

A heartfelt gaze increases heartbeats. The biological response to eye contact also shoots an adrenaline-like substance through your recipient’s veins.

3. Wear a ‘whatzit’

Make networking for your personal brand a little easier by wearing a whatzit. If you’re asking yourself, what is a whatzit? Exactly. It sparks questions and comments. Lowndes recommends a whatzit as a visual prop. This is something you might wear or carry. Like an interesting purse or tie.

This isn’t about screaming your personal brand from the rooftops. It can be as subtle or loud as your personal brand prefers or the occasion calls for. But, it is a conversation starter. It gives the people who want to talk to you an easy opening.

4. Don’t ask this question

It’s the common networking event question the majority don’t realise is a crass question - ‘What do you do?’

I have quite diverse networks. The majority of my social circle run businesses or are self-employed. A stark contrast to the 9-5 world I was a part of with my corporate colleagues for over a decade. My personal experience has been that the more successful the person, the less they ask this question. The less they are looking to put you into a neat box in their minds or an opening to share their impressive title. They simply want to get to know you and can talk to you for hours before your work even comes up. 

I’ve also noticed whenever a traditional 9-5er is in the mix, they are always the first and sometimes the only one to propose this question quickly. There appears to be more of an attachment to their titles. 

As How to Talk to Anyone highlights, by not asking the question, you’re not reducing a person down to their job. You’re showing you’re enjoying someone’s company, not simply categorising them. Or worse, seeking to exploit their potential position for ruthless networking reasons. 

While some already know it’s a classless question, Lowndes helps articulate why it’s also insensitive. What if someone has recently lost their job? What if they don’t feel like talking about their work? What if they know most won’t understand it? What if they are already so well off, they don’t work? What if someone is a full-time parent? The “cruel corporate question” belittles their commitment to their families. 

Instead, Lowndes suggests graciously substituting the question with:  

 ‘How do you spend most of your time?’

So, at your next networking event, practise the finer art of networking to build better relationships, and leave a lasting impression for your personal brand.