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After getting familiar with virtual and hybrid events, you start to eventually crave for live events. You would think that would urge you to jump back into the wagon the first chance you’ll get. But now that we’re back in person, you find yourself with occasional stutters, awkward small talks, and wiping your sweaty palms to your fancy business pants every once in a while. It finally hits you - in person networking is not as easy as you thought. It actually never was.

So how do we get back that charming smile, firm handshake with dry hands, and full-on passionate conversations? With simple steps before big leaps. Let’s check this simple in-person networking foolproof checklist from Jublia!

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Facing Your Fears as a Child: Talking to Strangers

You know how when we were a child, talking to strangers was strongly discouraged? Imagine the confusion of your 10 year old self when they’re older and find out that talking to strangers is actually encouraged. But it turns out that it’s not simply just talking, networking is all about building a relationship. Know these tips below to guide your inner child through interacting with strangers!

☑ Realizing there’s more pros instead of its cons

Not only does in-person networking help people communicate better as they can see body language and expressions, it also is one of the best ways to get valuable connections and sustainable relationships.

85% of business professionals in a study claim that in-person networking builds stronger and more meaningful relationships. It’s easier to build trust when you can directly see everyone involved. In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons why businesses participate in networking is to get customers.  In B2B sales, over 40% of in-person meetings result in new customers.

☑ It’s okay to be nervous, most of us are!

You might be feeling a lot of nerves and worried that things might get awkward. Well, chances are, the person you’re talking to are also feeling the exact same way, they just show it differently.

One of the popular tricks to calm the nerves is to look between the other person’s eyes when talking, right when their nose bridge connects to their forehead. That way, you won’t have to meet their eyes but can still seem like you are. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it!

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Your Parents Were Right, First Impressions Matter

First impressions are really where you can show the person you are and how you interact with people, so make sure that you give your very best. Check out the visual below to find out how!

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Now comes the hard part: what if I run out of things to say?

☑ Ask more questions about your potential friend

Introduce yourself nicely. After that, learn more about them. You’ll not only give the “stage” to them, but you’ll also get the chance to know more about them and jump into any topic they mention during the process. A perfect win-win!

☑  Find more in common with them

The easiest way is to ask them about what they’re trying to find in the event and their background. Although you should listen more about them, don’t get sidetracked and forget why you were there in the first place.

☑  Make sure they know you’re genuinely interested

Networking in an event might be tricky as you feel like you have limited time to talk to a lot of people. But make sure you won’t make that thought stop you from having actual genuine conversations. This could really help you get a more sustainable relationship for future potential collaborations.

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Never Really a “Goodbye”

The most valuable phase of in-person networking actually comes after the first meeting as that is when things really start.  So don’t worry if you haven’t talked much about everything, give it time to slowly seep in and really get into the details.

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Encourage valuable networking with our solutions

As a tech provider with a decade of experience powering all kinds of events with our engagement hub, we understand deeply the power of networking for sustainable relationships.

That is why we have designed our solutions to help encourage these potential meaningful connections. From setting 1-1 meetings before stepping into the venue, bookmarked agendas and so much more, our engagement hub can be the answer to all your worries about in-person networking. 

Have an event in mind that needs our solutions or expertise? Drop us a message at info@jublia.com or follow our LinkedIn to talk to us or find out more information on how we can help power your events to its full potential.

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