I attended my first ever speed networking event in Kendal last night, organised by the mighty fine people at LA23Net.
Each month they run an event that brings the Cumbrian business community together and provides an opportunity to network and engage with other local businesses and the people behind them.
The theme of every event is different, with recent meetings including a Meet the MD evening at Carr’s Billington in Carlisle and a LinkedIn masterclass at Kendal College.
The speed networking format proved to be the most enjoyable, and most useful for me so far.
I was once again reminded of the wide range of business types and individuals in the same room, that may otherwise never meet or know of each other.
From nutritionists to accountants, designers to celebrants, the diversity of Cumbria’s business world was on full display.
I made many new contacts and generated dozens of ideas for stories and feature ideas that I’d have never thought of or been exposed to otherwise.
I also became aware of LA23Net organisers Helen and Mandy’s enthusiasm for the humble (and very loud) cowbell, which sounded the beginning and end of each rotation.
For those that don’t know, speed networking takes the same principles as speed dating – something else that I have never experienced!
Participants meet each other in a series of brief exchanges during a set period of time, in this case six minutes per group of four people, before changing and meeting a new group, until everybody has met each other.
During each interaction, participants share their professional backgrounds and business goals.
Here are the top five tings I learned from the evening.
The Elevator Pitch
Making sure you get the most value out of your time is crucial. Introduce yourself quickly and efficiently at each rotation, and make sure your key messages are as brief and as compelling as possible. Everybody needs to have the same amount of time to take their turn, so make your time count and spend time working on what you want to say in advance.
Don’t run out of business cards
Take enough business cards with you for every person attending the event so that you can follow up with new connections, and make sure to ask other people for theirs so you can make contact with people afterwards and kick-start a potential business relationship.
A mini-business meeting for all
Each participant has two to three minutes to not only let the other people know what service or product their business provides but to discuss their business needs and articulate the types of connections they are seeking.
Everybody is there for the same reason
Speed networking helps to relieve participants of the stress of introductions as all attendees have a single purpose. It also gets rid of any awkward ‘exit’ by having a time limit for each group of people – so there is no need to find a way to bow out of a conversation gracefully!
Building confidence
Everybody is different and some people find speaking to new groups of people easier than others. By the end of a speed networking session, you will undoubtedly be more confident than when you started, with a clearer vision of what you want to achieve and how to make the most of your new connections.
