How to Build Relationships and Network at a Conference

How to build relationships at a conference, retreat, or networking event.

———-

An important note about this article: We believe that people were made for relationships, and that healthy relationships lead to a fuller, happier life. This article is not suggesting that people build relationships merely to get something out of that relationship. We’re just trying to outline ways that one can create an environment for a relationship to be formed more easily. Enjoy!

———-

You can learn almost anything you want online. But there’s still good reason to attend conferences, retreats, and networking events.

Relationships.

I’ve had a lot of conversations with other business owners about how they started their businesses and began to consistently book clients (especially since starting the Brands that Book podcast .) One of the answers that comes up time and time again?

Relationships.

And we’ve noticed that a lot of the business relationships people mention take place at conferences, retreats, and networking events.

Great news for extroverts. Not so much for introverts. And it can also feel slow-going for those just starting a business.

One of the big reasons our own photography business grew so quickly was because Krista was intentional about building relationships and attending networking events early on.

So why focus on building relationships?

Relationships lead to…

• Support (definitely necessary when running business)
• New ideas
• Collaborative projects and joint ventures
• Client referrals
• Being introduced to new audiences
• And most importantly, a good relationship leads to a fuller and happier life.

The good news is that it only takes a few, intentional relationships to make a big impact on your business. And although those relationships can come from anywhere, we’ve found conferences and networking events to be a great place to start.

So as you make your way to your next conference or event, keep these tips in mind:

5 Tips for Building Relationships at a Conference or Event

The rule of one (per day).

Next time you go to a conference or networking event, make it a point to start or continue building one relationship. Just one.

Don’t try to meet everyone. And don’t work the room passing out business cards that will eventually make their way into a junk drawer.

Focus on trying to get to know one person a little bit better. Introverts—that doesn’t sound too bad, right?

Focusing on one person will help you be more engaged. It’s hard to come off as engaged and interested if you’re trying to meet everyone at an event.

It’ll also force you to be more intentional about who you engage with. We all have limited time, and we’re not going to click with everyone. Why not make each conversation count?

If the conference spans over the course of a few days, try to get to know someone different on each day.

A quick note: This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get to know more than one person. Good for you if you leave a conference with 38 new relationships! This rule is more to ensure the focus is on quality over quantity.

Another quick note: We really enjoy conferences, but retreats are usually great environments for building relationships because they’re smaller and more intimate.

Have someone in mind (and think it through).

Have an idea of who you’d like to meet and why. If you’re trying to meet a keynote speaker, keep in mind that your time with that person is going to be limited because they’ll have a lot of people vying for their attention.

You might be able to catch them after their session and ask a question or two, but you’ll probably have a hard time sitting down with them for an extended amount of time.

The keynotes and speakers aren’t the only people at a conference that are doing interesting things in their businesses. Try connecting with other attendees.

Many conferences have Facebook groups, so it’s easy to figure out who is going to be at the conference. And you might even be able to start getting to know someone in advance. (Keep in mind that this is easier to do at a conference than a networking event.)

Generally I try to have a mental list of 3-5 people. I know I probably won’t be able to get to know all of them, but this way if one person is unavailable I have a few others I can try to connect with.

With all this said, there are have been plenty of instances where the person we ended up getting to know wasn’t the person we had in mind at the beginning of the event. And if you meet someone you click with that wasn’t “on the list,” that’s great—get to know him or her!

Ask great questions (and don’t expect anything in return).

One of the best ways to create quality conversation is to ask great questions.

And asking great questions shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re genuinely interested in that person and what they’re doing in their business.

Asking a good question shows that you’re interested and engaged, allows the conversation to go deeper, and generally kindles a conversation. Thoughtful questions often lead to challenge and insight.

This is a more effective way to make an impression than telling someone all about you, your business, and accomplishments.

Unless you recently walked on the moon or cured cancer, try not to talk too much during the conversation. There’s nothing that smothers a conversation quicker than someone who doesn’t let anyone else contribute.

Never set out with the intention of building relationships with people because you think they’ll be able to do something for you.

Follow-up with a note.

My guess is that 90% of people don’t follow-up after an event. An email—or even better, a handwritten note—goes a long way in letting someone know that you enjoyed getting to know them.

It also opens the door for the relationship to continue.

The follow-up is important because people meet a lot of other people at events. And it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with ideas upon coming home.

Receiving a note from someone keeps you top-of-mind.

Even if there are no opportunities for collaboration in the near future, that kind of gesture will usually be remembered when something does come along.

And at the end of the day, it’s just a nice way to tell someone that they made an impression.

Ask for introductions.

If you have a mutual friend, try to get an introduction instead of having to introduce yourself. Being introduced by someone lends you a certain level credibility immediately.

And when you’re introduced, don’t waste the opportunity. If you’re asking a friend to introduce you, let them in on why so they can give context to the introduction.

Being introduced by a friend who says something like, “ Hey, this is my friend Alex. He’s really interested in what you’re doing with print sales. ” gives you the opportunity to pick up the conversation with a thoughtful question.

Don’t expect the introduction to do the work for you. After you’re introduced, it’s your responsibility to keep the conversation going.

This, of course, is tough if you are just getting started or truly don’t know anyone at an event.

The Compound Effect of Relationships

If you’re just getting started building relationships in your industry, it can feel slow-going.

Relationships can’t be forced. They require elements like trust, and those sorts of things take time to develop. There aren’t really any shortcuts when it comes to building a relationship.

But there is a compound effect when a relationship is built. That relationship often leads to another relationship, and those relationships to more relationships and so on.

While there are no shortcuts, there are definitely things you can do to get started. And the best thing you can do is be intentional about it and put yourself out there.