The ability to build contacts pays off in every industry. If you are among those who are shy in public and who cannot take advantage of the opportunities arising from meeting new people, you should know that this condition may not be definitive. Successful networking is not a matter of luck but patience and hard work. Get inspired by the following recommendations from entrepreneur.com:
Prepare questions for the conversation
Choose the event that you want to visit in advance, find out who will be present. Then use the Internet to find the topics these people are likely to be interest in. Look for what exactly they work on and what is functioning in that field and what is not.
Bring an immediate added value
Once you know that you can help the person you have just met, do it. Introduce him, for example, to a friend of yours who can help him with something you cannot provide currently.
Ask how they achieved their success
Be interested in the stories of successful people in your surroundings. The more you know about them, the better relationship you can create.
Share something personal
When asked what you do, don't limit yourself to the memorized phrases about your job. Mention something personal, too, such as playing a musical instrument or collecting something.
Learn to make records of visited events
After a conference or a business lunch, find a while to sit down and write down the important issues you were talking about. It will make the future events much more easier for you and you will get the reputation of someone who is still in the picture.
Keep what you promise
When you promise somebody to send an e-mail or to call after the event, keep it. It will be another step towards a greater credibility.
Reward your best contacts
Keep a list of five to ten most important professional contacts and take a commitment to do something for one of them every week. It can be an invitation for a lunch, an e-mail with some interesting information, an introduction to someone else of your contacts... The possibilities are numerous and it is up to you how you can keep contact.
-kk-