Boring Networking Events

I was recently asked this question by a reporter: How can you best deal with a BORING networking events?

Here was my answer to the reporter:

I remember going to a networking event many years ago, looking around the room and thinking – “wow, this networking meeting is really boring.”  As I stood there and observed the room, I came to the realization that, “if I am bored at this networking meeting – it’s all my fault!”  I’m here to network.  Networking starts with “being interested” and not with “being interesting.”  With that, I dove into the room and was committed to be interested in meeting other people and learning about what they do.  All of a sudden, the meeting became interesting.  For me, it was a reset, of the mindset.

If you’re bored at a networking meeting, you’re doing it all wrong.

Dive in to the meeting and start learning about the people in the room.  Ask them questions like:

• What do you do?
• What’s your target market?
• What do you love most about what you do?
• What’s new in your industry?
• What sets you apart from your competition?
• Why did you start your business?
• What’s your most popular product?
• What are some of the challenges for you and your business?

Focus on being interested.  You’ll find that there are many people in the room that are interesting and you’ll walk out with some valuable contacts.

[See Chapter 29 of The 29% Solution for more ideas.]