Michael Page Logo

Main menu

  • Home
  • Jobs+

    Searching for a job?

    • Job search
    • Submit your CV
    • Resume and cover letter advice
    • Salary guide
    • Salary comparison tool
    • Global opportunities
    • Contracting jobs

    Quick job search

  • Contracting+

    • Hiring in the Mobile Economy
    • Hiring Contractors
    • Why hire Contractors
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Page Timesheet Portal
  • Recruiting+

    Looking to hire?

    • Recruitment services
    • Contract recruitment
    • Hiring in the new mobile economy
    • Executive recruitment
    • High volume/project recruitment
    • SME recruitment
    • Job Advertising: ReachTalent
    • Salary benchmarking tool

    Submit a job spec

    Our recruitment expertise

    • https://www.michaelpage.com.au/
    • Accounting & Finance
    • Banking & Financial Services
    • Construction
    • Digital
    • Engineering & Manufacturing
    • Health and Life Sciences
    • Hospitality & Leisure
    • Human Resources
    • Legal
    • Marketing
    • Mining, Energy & Resources
    • Procurement & Supply Chain
    • Property
    • Retail
    • Sales
    • Technology
  • Advice+

    Advice

    • Advice
    • Career advice
    • Management advice
    • Market insights
    • Resume templates

    Transformational Leadership

    • Eight Executive Trends for 2020
    • Leading Women

    ABC's of Technology

    • https://www.michaelpage.com.au/
    • Download Humans of AI report
    • Download Humans of Blockchain report

    Popular topics

    • Interview advice
    • Resume advice
    • Salary negotiation
    • Promotion advice
    • Staff retention advice
  • About+

    About us

    • Who we are
    • Work for us
    • Media releases
    • Diversity & inclusion at Page
    • Our Partnerships
  • Join PageGroup+

    Join PageGroup

    • About PageGroup
    • Why choose us?
    • Your role here
    • Use your skills
    • FAQs
    • Apply now
  • Contact+

    Contact us

    • Contact us
    • Find our offices
    • Looking to hire?
    • Submit your CV
    • Timesheet Portal
    • Feedback
Sign In
Saved jobs (0)
Saved jobs (0)
Sign In
Login or Sign up
Search for a job

You are here

Home>Advice>Career advice>Career progression>10 networking tips that will work for anyone

10 networking tips that will work for anyone

by the Michael Page team
-
03/06/2015
10 networking tips that will work for anyone
Networking can be nerve wracking, but building a wealth of contacts is invaluable to your career and the business your company generates.
 

1.  Be prepared

Fail to plan and you plan to fail. Simple. If you’re hosting the event, make sure you have all the necessary materials ready, such as name badges, business cards and brochures about your business. If you’re attending an external networking event, make sure you have something to hold all the business cards you collect. If you get flustered when talking to people, try to rehearse what you’ll say beforehand. Think about how you present yourself and your skills on LinkedIn and then consider that networking is the real life equivalent. Your delivery should be as polished and professional as your online version.
 
Think about how you present yourself and your skills on LinkedIn. Your delivery should be as polished and professional as your online version.
 
 

2.  Set yourself a target

A networking event is not a social gathering – you are there to achieve something. Set yourself a target, such as the number of people you want to talk to or be introduced to. If the number is 10 or 15 people, make sure you leave with 10 or 15 business cards.
 

3.  Don’t have a set agenda

Remember: networking is about developing relationships – so don’t try to close a deal. You’re not there to do business, you’re there to meet valuable contacts. Your only agenda should be a set number of people to talk to and your objective is to get their business cards and potentially do business with them in the future. So avoid any sales pitches or business propositions.
 

4.  Be a good guest

If you’re attending a networking event it is important to be a good guest. Make sure you are not complacent and avoid sitting in the corner by yourself – otherwise nobody will talk to you. If you don’t make the effort to work the room you’ll miss out on opportunities. Be friendly and open when you speak to people, and if you see someone sitting alone, go and say hello.
 

5.  Talk and listen

You’ve got to talk to people – but you’ve also got to listen to what the other person is saying. Otherwise you won’t know whether that person is the right person for you to be talking to and connecting with. Ask yourself: “do I really need this person’s business card or does he or she have nothing to do with my objective?” Listen and you will learn.
 

6.  Give referrals

Continuing on from the previous tip –if you get the impression that the person you’re talking to isn’t relevant to your business, but you know of someone else at the event that may be of interest to them, you can refer them to the other person. This will help you to make good business connections as your contacts will remember you as the referrer.
 

7.  Take two business cards

At networking events there is a lot of exchanging of business cards – when talking to someone, ask for two business cards. Don’t just take one for yourself, but also take one for someone you may know who may be interested in their business, which ties in with the point above.
 

8.  Time management

It is important to keep track of time at networking events. If it’s a breakfast seminar, then you will only have about 30 to 45 minutes to network and if you’ve given yourself the goal of talking to 10 people that gives you about three to four minutes with each person. So make sure to manage your time effectively – don’t spend 20 minutes talking to someone you already know or have met at a previous networking event, but rather spend your time talking to new people.
 

9.  Write everything down

If you don’t have a great memory, keep a pen and paper in your pocket and write everything down. If you’re going to meet 10 people in an hour you can’t guarantee yourself that you will remember the finer details of your conversation with each person, so it’s best to keep a written record of who you’ve spoken to and their line of business, along with a few details to jog your memory.
 

10.  Follow up

Most of important of all: follow up! Follow up with your newly formed contact the next day and remind them of what your business has to offer to gauge their interest. If you don’t follow up with your new contacts within one to two days, you’ve just wasted the entire networking event.
 
Now take a deeper dive into the benefits of networking to expand your knowledge of this area further.
 
Summary: 

Networking is one of the most valuable activities you can do for your career, so make the most of it.

  • Prepare and have a plan for what you want to achieve. Don't spend all your time talking to the colleagues you came with or people you know.
  • Think about your network beyond the event and contacts you can refer.
  • Always follow up!
Previous article
Having trouble spotting the best talent
Having trouble spotting the best talent? Try behavioural-based interviewing
by the Michael Page team
Read article
Next article
How Australian employers are retaining their best workers in 2014
How Australian employers are retaining their best workers in 2014
by John Maclean
Read article

Simplify your job search by downloading our new App

 

Download Our App Download Our App

Join over 80,000 readers!

Receive free advice to help give you a competitive edge in your career.

Sign up to receive job alerts

We will let you know when any new !keyword jobs are available. | We will let you know when any new !keyword jobs in !location are available. | Create an account to enable features like one click apply, and set up more than 5 job alerts

Advertise Your Role With Us

Advertise Your Role With ReachTalent

Topics

  • Career advice
  • Management advice
  • Market insights

Popular Articles

  • Prioritising mental health and wellness
  • Common interview questions
  • Virtual job interviews tips
  • Onboarding in remote teams
  • Benefits of networking
  • Eight must-have qualities of an effective leader

Tags

networking
personal branding
Michael Page Logo
  • Read our BlogRead our Blog
  • Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on LinkedIn
  • Watch us on YouTubeWatch us on YouTube
Candidate Relevancy gauge

Find your perfect match

Instantly see jobs that match your skills and experience by uploading your CV

Upload your CV Upload your CV

General

  • Change country/region
  • Unauthorised data breach
  • Page Personnel Australia
  • Page Executive
  • Cookies policy
  • Email disclaimer
  • Investor site
  • PageGroup corporate site
  • Privacy policy
  • Site terms
  • Site map
  • Feedback

Accreditations

ISO 9001 Certified

ISO27001 Accreditation

Jobs by function

  • Accounting & Finance
  • Banking & Financial Services
  • Construction
  • Digital
  • Engineering & Manufacturing
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality & Leisure
  • Human Resources
  • Information Technology
  • Legal
  • Marketing
  • Mining, Energy & Resources
  • Procurement & Supply Chain
  • Property
  • Retail
  • Sales
 

Mobile Apps

Get it on Google Play

Our offices

  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne CBD
  • Melbourne South East
  • Perth
  • Sydney CBD
  • Sydney North Shore
  • Sydney West
  • Canberra

Contact

  • Feedback
  • Looking to hire?
  • Submit your CV

Michael Page is part of PageGroup. Michael Page is a trading name of Michael Page International (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 58 002 872 264). Registered Office: Level 32 Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
© PageGroup plc