Great Networking Conversation Starters

Great Networking Conversation Starters via Pixabay.com 1. Open the door. Talking about ourselves is what makes us most comfortable. So if youre trying to reach out to someone and connect with them, give them the chance to open their mouth about everything theyre interested in and what theyve accomplished over the course of their career. Sure, you might not want to know every detail, but networking is all about how skilled you are at socializing/listening/acting like you care. If your boss starts divulging details about his or her grandkids, their bathroom remodel, or how their latest golf game is going, let them talk. Half of getting someone to remember who you are is connecting with them on a level thats deeper than just small-talk about the weather. It can be overwhelming to expect yourself to create a personal conversation right after an introduction, so give yourself some leeway. It might take more than one conversation, or more than 10 minutes to get someone really talking. If youre attending a networking function, theyre probably just as socially exhausted as you are after having to talk to people all afternoon. If youre an intern and youre just trying to be noticed Offer details about where youre from. Where did you attend undergrad? Whats a class thats really piqued your interest in your field? Whos a professor you had with a recognizable name? If its your first time networking within a company Ask your fellow networking companions about what they do. Whats their role in the company? Where do they want to be in five years? What are they really, truly interested in? 2. Do your homework before the networking function. If youre feeling especially nervous about networking with people in your career field, you can settle your anxiety by doing your homework beforehand. Who are you hoping to get to talk with? What are your common interests/goals? Do not feel guilty about stalking someone on LinkedIn. Thats literally what its there for. If you can take even ten minutes to look up some general things that youll have in common, youll give yourself an inventory of things to talk about when the anxiety hits you and youre stuttering. via Pixabay.com 3. Update your LinkedIn profile. Its so awkward to hop onto LinkedIn and find out that the person youre trying to get to know hasnt changed their profile picture from their college days. Dont be that person. Regularly attempt to make an appearance on networking websites and social media. Your technological footprint can be your ticket to a successful networking event. Remember:  Your technological footprint follows you  everywhere.  I probably dont need to remind you to make sure you censor your information online. Its not a landfill for your personal drama. Its also not somewhere you want to lose your temper. Itll follow you for the rest of your life. If you wouldnt want your grandmother to read it, keep it to yourself. Otherwise, itll probably come back to haunt you in the future. 4. Find common ground. Before you begin a conversation with a big-wig, youll want to know a few things you have in common. When you begin a new job or youre new to a career field, it might be tough to discover things you have in common with people. You have to initiate conversation. Whether its at a networking function or just in the office, dont be afraid to approach people and get to know them. Some of this just takes time. You cant expect to be buddies with the boss after just a few weeks. Give it time before you start expecting to find things you have in common with your coworkers and superiors. Then once you do discover that common interest, take advantage of it. Remember: people like to talk about themselves. Once you know what theyre interested in, use that as a starting point to get talking. Theyll remember you because of how theyll feel after theyve had a conversation with you. 5. Begin with small-talk. Dont feel intimidated like you have to walk right up to someone and start discussing their most personal passions. Its always a safe bet to begin with small talk where are you from? How long have you been with the company? Do you have a family? Its easy to start a conversation with someone when you set the bar low try talking about the weather to get things started. If youre even the least bit sociable, youll easily be able to strike up a conversation. It should come naturally. And if it doesnt, its not networking youre bad at its chatting with people. Infographic by Lorena Roberts 6. Use humor. People tend to remember you better and enjoy talking with you more if youre funny. If this doesnt come naturally, I wouldnt suggest trying to rehearse funny lines. Id suggest building humor into your everyday conversations. For instance, telling a funny story (thats obviously work-appropriate) will get peoples attention and if it makes them laugh, theyre much more likely to remember who you are. The best thing you can do for yourself is get your name out there with the sentence, Have you met ______?! Theyre hilarious! Once you establish yourself as a good storyteller and a personable individual, itll be even easier for you to network with people. 7. Set yourself apart. Imagine a job interview at a private school, where every single candidate is dressed in the same colors and style. How would you remember the difference between them? Probably their hair, or if one suddenly walked up to you in black lipstick. When it comes to networking, you want to set yourself apart, just as you would if you were wearing black lipstick to a job interview. Where you want to be careful is how you set yourself apart. For instance, maybe black lipstick to a job interview isnt the best impression you could make. But the point is that youd be remembered. The key to networking is making an impression that lasts in a positive way. When you start talking to people, keep in mind that youll be one of many conversations theyll have that day. 8. If youre introverted Youll probably gravitate towards a quieter part of the networking event if youre naturally introverted. Chances are, there are more people who feel just like you do at this event than you realize. When you find yourself sneaking off to a quiet corner to gather your thoughts and pull yourself away from the hectic-ness of the event, look around and notice if there are any others in the same boat. Man I hate networking events can be a good way to start a conversation with someone who has a mutual distaste for this kind of thing. And if the only person you know once you leave the event is the other introverted person you happened to run into at the  hors doeuvres table, thats alright. 9. Ask about the area. People love talking about their favorite restaurants. If youre looking for a great recommendation for Mexican food, theres no better place to ask around than at a networking event. Once you get someone started on restaurants they love going to, your conversation will naturally run its course. Should you find out that you have a lot in common, try suggesting a group of you get together for drinks or dinner after work sometime. 10. Whats happening around the country? Other than the weather, current events and local news are some of the easiest ways to get into a conversation with someone. Did you see the _______ on the news today? can open a whole can of worms about whats going on around the country/world and in your own community. If youre new to your city, use this opportunity to bond with someone over what its like to live wherever you are. Dont be afraid to admit that youre new to the area and youre looking for a great place to workout, or a good hiking spot. 11. Dont apologize it makes things a little weird. If youre not good at networking and you know it, I wouldnt suggest walking up to a group of people and announcing how bad you are at networking events. Everyones nervous in these types of situations, so you dont need to draw more attention to the fact that youre hating your life right now. People are uncomfortable and dont know how to handle it when you say things like Im really bad at this, so Ill just start by introducing myself. How are they supposed to respond? Oh, youre not bad at this! Youre doing great! Theyll feel like they have to treat you like a child. Which isnt a good look moving forward. 12. Ask a question. Instead of offering your opinion about something right off the bat, you can build your credibility with a group of people by first asking a question. Ease your way into a group of people by surveying how they feel about a number of topics: whether its work related or about a current event. What do you guys think about the new sushi place down the street? is much easier to respond to than when you whirl your opinion into a lively conversation between three or four people. 13. Arrogance is the fastest way to turn people off. Whether youre naturally arrogant or you wouldnt know how to brag on yourself if someone handed you a cue card, arrogance is a sure-fire way to make enemies at a networking event. No one is there because they want to hear about all of  your  accomplishments. So like Ive mentioned before, focus on asking other people about themselves. Its no fun to sit around and listen to someone brag about everything theyve accomplished. You start feeling crappy about yourself and then you wont want to have a conversation with that person in the future. Whats most important about networking events is not pressuring yourself to meet everyone whos in attendance. Networking is hard. Even if youve had tons of practice! Its intimidating to walk into a room of people and be expected to strike up conversation about a variety of topics. If youre new to the world of networking, I suggest you have some safe options to fall back on when you get stuck. Spend a little extra time with the newspaper the morning before your event. And then ensure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and ready to accept connection requests. You want to put your best face forward at these types of events so maybe even consider a haircut.  And dont forget to bring your business cards.   No matter what, remember that networking is about putting yourself out there. Walk into the event ready to be yourself. Youre awesome. Dont forget everything youve done to earn your place at the table. Youre worth getting to know.