You Don’t Need To Be An Extrovert To Network At SXSW (Or At Any Conference)

Today’s guest blogger is Thom Singer, the director of business development for vcfo. He is also the author of several books on the power of business relationships and networking.

One of the most popular reasons that people site for attending an industry conference is for the “networking opportunities”. However, once they arrive at these multi-day events they often fail to make any important or lasting connections. This is unfortunate, as the other people who are present are also hoping to find cool people with whom they can meet, mingle, and possibly establish longer term personal and professional friendships.

As SXSW Interactive invades Austin this weekend the topic of networking is on the top of mind for many. Both those who are attending the entire conference and those who are only planning on hitting a few of the ancillary parties, anticipate the opportunity to connect with other people.

With a little planning anyone, extrovert or introvert, can have a meaningful networking experience. Here are five tips help you:

• Have a plan. Decide in advance which sessions you want to attend. This will allow you time to arrive early so that you can find a good seat and talk with other people in the audience. If you come in late and hang in the doorway or lean against the back wall you will have no opportunity to chat with anyone. Saying “hello” and asking the other people around you where they are from is a great ice breaker. If you live in Austin, remember that you are an unofficial host/ambassador for our city, so it is your job to welcome those who are visiting.
• Bring lots of business cards. If you do have a great conversation with someone it may be appropriate to exchange cards. If you forgot or have run out of cards you will appear unprepared, and they will not have any means of remembering you in the mix of the dozens of others with whom they will have conversations.
• Ask people questions. Be curious about the people you meet. Where do they work? Why did they choose to attend SXSW? What were the best panels they have seen so far? If you get other people talking, they will become more comfortable with you. Plus, if you are more introverted and are shy to talk about yourself, this will put you at ease if they are doing most of the talking.
• Put your electronics away. Do not spend every break or meal-time on your blackberry, iPhone, or laptop. When you are buried in your email or writing your blog you will appear busy and others will not feel they can approach you. Hang out with people you have already met during the breaks and look for new people who seem shy and invite them into your conversation.
• Follow up. If you meet someone whom you would like to keep in touch with after the conference it is up to you to “own the follow up”. They may not have read this blog post, and thus may not think of sending you an email or handwritten note stating how much they enjoyed talking with your at the event. But you have read this, so you know that for a friendship to grow there must be strategic follow up.

If you will be at SXSW, or any conference, remember to have fun. Networking is not easy, for introverts or extraverts. Notice the word “WORK” is right in the middle of it. But if you follow these steps you can improve your ability to make better connections.

Thom Singer is the director of business development for vcfo. He is also a professional speaker and the author of three books on the power of business relationships and networking.

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