Recipe: Attending Live Events

Meeting people at live events is one of the easiest and most effective ways to fill your marketing pipeline—easy, that is, if you’re not afraid of talking to strangers. All you have to do is match your market niche definition with the member profile of an existing association, organization, institution, or social group, and go shake hands.

The places where you go to meet people are your live networking venues. Here are some popular choices for networking in person:

Chamber of Commerce mixers, workshops, and award ceremonies

Service clubs such as Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis

Trade and professional association meetings where your clients are likely to gather

Trade and professional association meetings where your referral partners are likely to gather

Lectures, classes, workshops, and conferences hosted by educational institutions, vendors, community organizations, churches, and affinity groups

Social, cultural, and sporting events or fund raisers that include receptions or other mix-and-mingle time

Volunteer opportunities for a nonprofit that serves your niche or a community project

Groups and clubs for people with shared interests, such as book clubs, running clubs, or single parents’ groups

Private gatherings organized for the purpose of meeting new people and schmoozing

Lead exchange groups, where people in noncompetitive businesses gather weekly or monthly to swap leads and referrals

The best venues for networking are those intended to be a place for people to meet. If you attend a function like this, you can be assured that saying hello to someone you don’t know will be accepted and welcome. Just walk up to anyone who looks interesting, stick out your hand, and say, “Hi, I haven’t met you yet.” Give people your 10-second introduction and ask about them.

If you are not naturally outgoing, you may find that groups with a more structured format work better for you than informal mixers and receptions. Many networking events offer “introductions,” which means that members get a chance to stand up and tell the whole group what they do. Attendees may also be able to display or distribute flyers, brochures, or business cards. Even more structured than this is a lead exchange group.

Where do you find groups and events like this? Start by asking around. Anyone who is a likely referral partner for you can probably suggest some. Here are some other places you can look:

Websites that list events. Do a keyword search for your city—e.g., “Boston events,” or search Meetup.com or Eventbrite.com.

Associations or professional organizations. Search online for groups that serve your niche and your area—e.g., “Austin psychology association” or “Nashville writers’ organization”.

Social media channels. Look for the type of event you might like on your favorite social media site—e.g., search for “Seattle conference” in LinkedIn’s Events area, or search for “Chicago networking” on Twitter.

Regional and local newspapers. Look for a “Business Calendar” or “Community Calendar” section in print or online.

Chamber of Commerce. Ask for a list of local business and community organizations.

Business Times or Business Journal for your metropolitan area.

Specialized publications aimed at your market niche’s profession or area of special interest.

In looking for events to attend, keep in mind that the way to get the most value from a group is to be a member of it. You will have more success in your networking if you go back to the same groups over and over than if you keep going to new groups all the time. Find two or three that seem to have the right mix of prospects and/or referral sources, and keep going back.

So what if you are uncomfortable talking to strangers? Acquiring good networking skills will benefit you in all areas of your marketing. It’s important to learn to introduce yourself smoothly, start a conversation with someone you don’t know, and be comfortable when talking about your business in social settings. You might try practicing with friends, look for a workshop you could take, or read one of the many books on networking or mingling.