I used to hate attending in-person events.
I would focus on going from session to session, head down, avoiding having to talk to anyone in the halls, and I certainly wasn’t interested in networking events. When one conference invited me on a two-hour cruise with a few hundred marketers, I couldn’t say no fast enough.
My boss at Agorapulse laughed at me because today, when I attend large conferences, all I do is talk to people – I might not attend any sessions at all! I’ll deliberately find a table or comfortable couch and “hold court” as he called it, though all I’m really doing is finding a highly visible place to chat with people I know and meet new, interesting people.
But that wasn’t the case 8 or 9 years ago.
The first marketing industry event that I attended was Content Marketing World and even though I knew a few people, it was a real struggle to overcome my introvertedness and actually talk to other attendees. A few months later I attended Social Media Marketing World for the first time and while networking was still a huge challenge, it was slightly easier. (SMMW vets will remember they used to have those Hornblower cruises around the bay, and I regret not doing that!)
In fact, with each successive event I attended, it got easier and easier to network and talk to the other speakers, sponsors and attendees.
Why is that, do you think?
It certainly wasn’t that I’m no longer an introvert – I am. I’m still more comfortable being alone in my office, in the space I’ve carved out for myself that’s uniquely me.
And it certainly wasn’t due to having learned some trick like “10 things to say at a cocktail party” to give myself confidence in having memorized rote material. (Even though #3 is always a fabulous icebreaker.)
No, my ability to network and enjoy networking at large conferences now stems entirely from having done it for years and seen first-hand the benefits it brings.
These days, I’m active on social media and I frequently attend both in-person and online events, and throughout all are common threads of relationships between me and other colleagues that are being formed, strengthened, and enhanced.
Let me show you what I mean.
Tactics & Tastings Tour -> Guest For My Podcast
Each month in 2023, Agorapulse hosted a series of dining and discussion events for senior marketers in different cities around the world. I organized events in San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, London and Dublin.
Leading up to our first event in San Diego, I had invited key influencers speaking at SMMW, but was also scouring LinkedIn for CMOs, senior marketers, and social media influencers with whom we might want to build a relationship. As soon as I saw that longtime friend Brian Schulman was local I sent him an invite, then noticed one of his connections was prominent brand strategist Raquel Borras, and so I immediately sent her a connection request and invitation. She graciously accepted and attended, and we had a great time chatting!
Fast forward two months… when I needed a guest for my Partnership Unpacked podcast and asked Raquel, she accepted without hesitation. And when, later, I asked her if we could record our conversation as a live video rather than just a private studio, she agreed to that too! And she was an amazing guest. You can watch the replay here.
That’s the kind of collaboration that’s possible when you’ve invested time into creating real relationships, and face-time at in-person events accelerates and enhances those relationships.
Let me show you another recent example.
Marketing Conferences -> Speaker For My Event
Last Fall, after giving a talk at MarketingProfs B2BForum in Boston, one attendee came up to me afterwards with a fascinating question and client problem with regard to influencer marketing. We connected on LinkedIn and Instagram afterwards (see tip #4 below) and then a few months later, we saw each other again at Social Media Marketing World in San Diego. It was a real treat to hang out with Farhana Cannon and talk to her off and on throughout the event, as I got to learn what an incredible mind she has for marketing strategy and small group events and retreats, as well as her terrific worldview overall.
When it came time to selecting speakers for last year’s Agency Summit, I knew I needed to get Farhana in front of these agency executives to help them with their mindset and, of course, she was ever so happy to contribute.
Positive Experiences Encourage Positive Outlook
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, since I now have nearly a decade of events and experiences and relationships that have grown and blossomed. The key point though is that, thanks to all of these experiences, it’s easy for my mind to rationalize and compartmentalize any discomfort I may feel in advance of an event. The feelings are still there, but I can smile and wave at them as I cheerily walk out the door of my hotel room on the way to the Hyatt bar to mingle with a few hundred colleagues, for hours.
If you’re looking at an event coming up this year as one of your first networking opportunities, and are feeling some anxiety right now just thinking about it, here are a few tips that’ll help:
- Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who are more successful than you. Many people are hesitant to reach out to people who are more successful than them. They’re afraid of being rejected or of being seen as a burden. However, the truth is that successful people are often more than happy to help others. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, you may be surprised at how much help you can get.
- Be prepared. Before you attend an event or connect with someone online, take some time to think about what you want to achieve. What are you hoping to learn? Who are you hoping to meet? Having a plan will help you to make the most of your networking opportunities. Particularly if it’s a marketing event, you should be able to find key potential connections on LinkedIn and connect with them in advance.
- Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. People can spot a fake a mile away. Be genuine and let your personality shine through.
- Follow up. After you meet someone, be sure to follow up with them. Send them a thank-you note and let them know that you enjoyed meeting them. You can definitely connect with them on social media or send them an email to stay in touch.
Pro Tip: Grab the QR Code for your LinkedIn profile, build it into a portrait-sized graphic in Canva, and use that as your smart phone’s lock screen! Talking to someone you want to connect with? Just show them your phone and ask them to connect with you on LinkedIn. Here’s mine:
For more help, try:
And if you see me at an event, come say hi! I’m eager to met you and in fact, I always share at the bottom of this newsletter what events I’m going to be at next so you’ll know.
