Networking Events: Part 2
■Target networking events with presentation opportunities!
This applies not to regular meetups, but to one-off events, particularly in-person networking with a standing reception format. Events that allocate specific presentation time—such as 30 seconds or 1 minute—are highly recommended.
Among all networking events, I believe the most inefficient are those that involve nothing but business card exchanges. There's a limit to how many people you can meet in a single event, and each time you meet someone new, you have to start your self-introduction from scratch. This is incredibly time-consuming and inefficient.
In contrast, at networking events with presentation opportunities, you can pitch yourself to everyone at once, making it highly efficient. However, unless your presentation makes an impact, you'll get lost in the crowd and won't stick in people's minds. So focus entirely on creating impact. Consider telling your best joke, including catchy keywords like "earn a trillion in 5 seconds," doing a cosplay performance, or even a naked dance (※within the bounds of good taste).
■Avoid matching-only networking events!
Many web-based services and apps feature networking events that are purely about facilitating matches. While there's a slim chance this works for collaboration purposes, if your goal is to acquire potential customers, it's best to avoid them.
The reason is simple: both you and the other person want to sell your own offerings. When two salespeople meet, neither will ever move to the next step. Moreover, these types of services typically deploy large numbers of sales representatives working on commission from external sources. As a result, you'll spend time being pitched competing products at every turn, leaving you mentally exhausted.
■Visit multiple branches at franchise-based networking events!
Some networking events operate under a franchise model. For clarity, I'll call the franchisor the "headquarters" and the franchisees the "branches."
Since headquarters handles the branding of the networking event, the information you see online is primarily about headquarters. However, the actual activities are run by the branches, and branch information is often not available online. You may see negative reviews about certain franchise networking events on social media, but these reflect one person's experience at a particular branch. Had that person attended a different branch instead, they might have had a completely different experience.
Each branch differentiates itself with its own character, so even with the same headquarters, operations vary widely from branch to branch. Since you can't really know whether a branch is good until you actually attend, I recommend visiting multiple branches when exploring franchise-based networking events.
We've covered networking event insights over two installments. We have many other tips and strategies available. If you're interested in learning more, please feel free to reach out!