There are some people who love to network (and meet new people) while others view it as a necessary evil.

When you are at a networking event it is important to not enter with an agenda, as you never know who you are going to meet. This is extremely important as you do not want to limit yourself; you never know who is in the network of the person you are meeting with (and who in turn they can connect you with). The best strategy is to enter the event with the hope of developing as many genuine relationships as possible -you never know where they will lead. The number of people you talk to doesn’t matter, the depth of your conversation matters – this can then turn into a meaningful business relationship. Always try to connect on a human level with the person you are networking with – so that you can have a vested interest in one another.

After attending a networking event, be sure to follow up with a thank you. Remember that a hand written thank you is always a nice touch as it shows genuineness and effort. Continue to follow up and develop the relationship by getting to know the person better, whether it is asking that person’s thoughts on an article or asking how you can assist them.

Be sure to continue to cultivate the relationship. This can be done in many ways. One example is to offer to connect that person with a contact of yours. This shows that you can add value to the relationship. The wider your network, the more you can connect people. You never know when you will be able to help someone or they will be able to help you.

Networking doesn’t have to be scary- you just need to be open to meeting new people and cultivating those relationships.

Here are some more links to some great articles on networking:

Business Insider 

Forbes 

Have you ever ran a meeting and kept getting disrupted? Or has there been little participation with various individuals engaging in their own side conversations?

Here are some techniques for dealing with these types of issues:

1) Side Conversations

1. Make eye contact with the individuals who are engaging in a side conversation
2. Call on one of the individuals in the side conversation
3. Remind all individuals in the meeting that they should not be engaging in side conversations

2) An individual dominates the meeting

1. Regain control of the meeting without embarrassing the individual
2. Encourage other individuals to participate
3. Go around the room to ask individuals their thoughts about an idea

3) Increasing Group Participation

1. Use active listening
2. Go around the room to ask individuals their thoughts about an idea
3. Remind individuals about the importance of participation and getting everyone’s ideas out in the open

Hope these help make your meetings run smoothly!