Hit 50 real conversations at a networking meetup and it clicked

I used to go to networking events and just hand out business cards like candy. I would talk to someone for maybe two minutes, hand them a card, and move on. Last month I went to a small meetup in Austin with only about 30 people there. Instead of rushing, I sat down with three different folks and asked them real questions about their businesses. One guy told me he landed a big client just by staying behind and helping the host clean up. That stuck with me. Now I focus on having one good conversation instead of collecting ten phone numbers. Has anyone else tried slowing down at events and seen better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee6277d ago

Did I learn this the hard way? Absolutely. I spent years being the guy who'd shake 50 hands and forget every single name before I got to my car. The turning point for me was a small chamber of commerce breakfast where I actually sat down and didn't immediately start asking about services or pricing. The woman next to me was a florist, and she told me the story of how she saved a bride's wedding by driving across town to pick up flowers that got delivered to the wrong address. I still remember that story two years later. Now I aim for maybe two or three solid chats where I actually learn something about the person, not just their job title.

iris_jones897d agoMost Upvoted

Totally agree with @lee627 on this. I started doing something similar at networking events, just asking people one personal question like what they did for fun last weekend. It's way easier to remember a story about their hiking trip than their job title, and the chats feel a lot less awkward.