'Hello From' postcards: Make the most out of discovering networking events

“Hello, I am Marcin Wozniak, Enterprise Associate at the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University where we help small business owners to delve into business challenges they are currently facing, invest time working strategically on the business, develop a trusted network of fellow business owners and explore ways to grow their company. So, this was my 60 seconds (more or less) pitch, and yes you are likely will be asked to pitch what you do if you are attending a networking event.

Four months ago, I started my business engagement role at the Centre for Enterprise, where I am responsible for connecting with business owners in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Warrington, and engaging them with our business growth support. Attending local networking events and connecting with business owners is a big part of my working life, so here is a glimpse of my recent experience with networking over the past several months and a few small hacks for getting the most out of networking.

A room full of sharks or room full of dolphins?

The first networking event I attended in the role was the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce event in Bolton in early March; so still fresh in the post covid era. I was excited to do some face-face networking, yet still a little nervous and a little out of practice.

However, as I thought everyone else in the room was in the same boat, I quickly got chatting over a coffee with another business development manager in the room which ‘broke the ice’, but really, I was missing the opportunity to make conversations with the people l wanted to reach. That is when I realised I had to be more strategic. There were 60 seconds introductions from participants after the presentation so I took notes of who is in the room and planned with whom I should talk to.

Before I went to the networking event, one of my colleagues gave me a networking tip: not to hard-sell our support programmes offer but instead, to ask the business owner - “What challenges do you have for your business right now?”. This approach to networking creates an opportunity to develop a conversation and explore how you can support them or their business with what you have to offer. By using this approach, I generated a few expressions of interest from business owners who later joined our growth programmes.

Strategising your presence 

The networking events are what you make of them. It’s worth considering whether you want to find a network of business owners/industry professionals that offers a supportive environment and will motivate you for a day or a week ahead or, do you want to generate leads or referrals for your business? Perhaps both.

If you are not sure where to start with finding a networking event, you can start with the local chamber of commerce and googling local smaller networking groups – there are so many that offer a mixture of online and face-face sessions. Eventbrite is also a great source in finding what’s available in your area.

Consider the right activity for you and your business. Networking events are usually a means for companies within a certain geographical area or demographic to build connections and raise awareness for their brand and services. Business Expo’s, also known as trade shows, are sector specific events, arranged to help companies to showcase and sell their services to companies within their own industry supply chain. It’s important to strategise or have an agenda for what you want to get out of a networking event prior to attending and it is useful to do some basic homework before booking your place at an event. You can find out more on researching the right networking event on our previous blog: ‘Develop a love for Networking’ by Salma Chaudry, Business Advisor at the Centre for Enterprise.  

Extending your reach on LinkedIn – My ‘Postcard From’ series

I left my first networking event with a buzz, eager to share it with others and add value to my time spent at the event. LinkedIn post was a no-brainer, but I pondered a little on what my post should be, how to make it engaging for people in my online network and grab their attention.

The Greater Manchester High Growth Network is the programme I am promoting which offers support for businesses across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. So, I set myself a challenge to attend a networking event in each borough to promote our programme and while I am visiting, to capture an image of an interesting landmark and share it as a digital postcard on LinkedIn.

While attending the networking event in Bolton, I took a picture of Bolton Town Hall in Victoria Square and used it to create my Postcard from Bolton