Championship Networking Tip – Manage Your Waiting

Welcome back to Championship Networking by Eric Shaw. Eric teaches us how to prepare for a networking opportunity.

There are six steps to prepare for a mixer or social event. Follow these requirements as much as you can, whenever logistically possible.

Number 1: Know who will attend. At our All Cities Resource Group, we know that bankers, lenders, lawyers, accountants, and investment bankers will be there, and I prepare accordingly.

Number 2: Know who to know. Most of the people who plan to attend a formal networking function or social even were invited by a friend or associate. You attend, because your contact recommended that it would be a good event for you to network or meet people who could otherwise help you (and vice versa).

Number 3: Research the firm that employs the people you want to meet. What are their wants and needs? What are yours?

Number 4: Research the executives. If two people form the same company attend, but only one has a book of business, would it be effective for you to spend time with the person without the book of business? If your answer is yes, you didn’t do your job.

Number 5: Memorize the prepared questions you will ask. These will be the most valuable questions you will have. Why? Once again, because anything practiced turns to muscle. In this instance, you will garner qan immediate conversational advantage.

Number 6: Know whom to sit by. If you sit next to people you know, you will not make a dime. If you were going to make money off the people you already know, there would be no reason to network.

Remember, the way we do anything is the way we do everything.

Championship Networking is a column on Actors Reporter, a site on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.