Andrew Barnett, Fort Lauderdale gives his top tips for making the most out of a networking event. With these suggestions, you'll be making new connections in no time at all.

1. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT:
NETWORKING
A N D R E W B A R N E T T F L . C O M
AB

2. Interacting with people you may
not know very well all in the
name of trying to connect with
them to establish a relationship
of sorts, preferably a mutually
bene�cial one. The good news is
that you don’t have to dread
going to parties anymore for fear
of talking about the weather for
the �fth time in two hours.
There’s a more natural way to
forge a connection.
SMALL TALK, NETWORKING,
CHIT-CHAT.
T H E Y A L L M E A N T H E S A M E T H I N G :

3. GIVE YOURSELF AN
OBJECTIVE
Intent matters – it makes you more productive
than just talking to random people about
random things. Instead, think of a problem
you’ve been facing, or challenge you’re looking
to overcome. Find someone to help you do that,
and you’re off. If you can �nd out who else will
be in attendance at the event, so much the
better!

4. MAKE IT FUN
It’s more than okay to go an event where you don’t know anyone. To
keep yourself social and accountable, make a game for yourself –
Entrepreneur.com’s Jonathan Jarvis suggests picking a color ahead
of time and making sure you talk to everyone wearing that color
before you leave. Even though you’re not looking to solve a
particular problem, you still have an objective to accomplish before
the night is over.

5. AT THE SHOP
LEAVE THE SHOP TALK
Which is to say, don’t talk about work. Don’t bring it up,
don’t think about it, if possible. You’re here to socialize,
and talking business is one of the fastest ways to put a
conversation on hold immediately. Instead, ask people
about their hobbies, the things they love. The
conversation will �ow better and give your partner a
topic they’re likely much more enthusiastic about. It
also gives you a chance to �nd out things you have in
common!

6. RECONNECT
You put time and effort into establishing that new
connection! Don’t let all that hard work go to waste –
make a point to get in contact with that person after the
party’s over. Make a list of all the people you want to
follow up with (including the host, for putting on a great
event) and send them a little thank-you note, whether
that’s via email, a LinkedIn connection request, or even a
handwritten note. With the digital world we live in,
anything beyond an e-vite forges a stronger connection
and demonstrates a greater effort than merely sending an
email. It helps you stand out and become more
memorable, both of which are to your advantage.