{"id":11815,"date":"2018-06-15T16:24:54","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T15:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/?p=11815"},"modified":"2025-10-29T10:05:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T10:05:57","slug":"business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Networking: Field of Dreams or Minefield?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our Sales Director, Peter Spring shares his experiences and tips on business networking.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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I love networking events. I love walking into a room full of individuals, each with their own quirks, sense of humour, tastes, talents and opinions about networking events. There\u2019s something tantalizing about starting a conversation with a stranger or group of strangers and seeing where it goes. But I know not everyone feels the same and I certainly enjoy networking more now than I used to. You might absolutely dread these interactions and just long for the moment when it\u2019s acceptable to leave.<\/p>\n

There might things you can do\u00a0 though to make networking events bearable \u2013 or even enjoyable. So here are my 7 top tips for maneuvering the social minefield:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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1. Decide What You Want<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re not clear about why you\u2019re at an event, it\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll leave feeling you could have behaved differently. Actors and directors speak often about the importance of intention. Without intention Romeo doesn\u2019t approach Juliet, Frodo stays in The Shire and Walter White doesn\u2019t pack in his teaching job for a dabble on the dark side. In short, very little happens!<\/p>\n

So although you\u2019re not battling the forces of Mordor, the point still stands: clarifying your intent is vital. It will direct your conversation and approach and put you in the driving seat \u2013 especially when things don\u2019t quite go as planned. Consider why you\u2019re attending at all and verbalise your intention on your way to the event. I\u2019m always muttering to myself before events \u2013 organizing my thoughts, imagining scenarios and rehearsing conversations. There are certainly questions you\u2019ll be asked so it\u2019s useful to consider how you want to answer \u201cwhat do you do?\u201d, \u201cwhat are you working on at the moment\u201d and \u201chow is business?\u201d. Remember people like to be surprised so consider highlighting some interesting and unexpected tidbits of information you can share.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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2. Start Small<\/h2>\n

Big conversations start small...but that starting point can be difficult to grab hold of! I\u2019ve found that an easy place to start is by looking someone in the eye, smiling and saying hello. If this sounds simple, that\u2019s because it is! Science tells us that smiling elicits positive emotion, even if you\u2019re nervous or not quite feeling it, smiling has the magical effect of changing your mood and the mood of the lucky person you\u2019re speaking to. Once you\u2019ve made eye contact and made a connection say hi. No one is affronted or bored by a simple \u201chi\u201d or \u201chello\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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3. Be Curious<\/h2>\n

Whether we recognise it or not, each of us holds an endless supply of stories within us. By being curious about the person you\u2019re speaking with you\u2019ll quickly overcome nerves, find common interests and gain useful insights. The best networkers are those that not only make professional connections with those in the room but are also able to connect others at the event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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4. Read Signals<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re networking remember to put your focus outwards. Make eye contact with the person or people you\u2019re with and observe their body language. Are they interested in what you\u2019re saying? Do they seem tired, bored, stressed, distracted or engaged and present? Observing others and reading subtle signals will allow you to alter your approach and adapt the content of what you\u2019re saying to establish a stronger connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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5. Go With the Flow<\/h2>\n

Unfortunately for those with a penchant for logic and structure, networking is more of an art than a science. The only logical way to navigate the conversational landscape is to listen to the other person and connect with what they are saying. Think of it as a team rather than a solo effort - if you\u2019re doing all the talking, you\u2019re probably doing something wrong.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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6. Involve Others<\/h2>\n

Conversations don\u2019t always run smoothly. It takes a while to establish a genuine connection and, with 8 billion of us interacting all the time, it isn\u2019t going to happen every time. An easy way to get the ball rolling if things are feeling a little stilted is to bring other people in on the conversation. You could do this by making eye contact with a passerby or even suggesting you take a walk around the room or to the bar for a top-up. Walking up to new people at a networking event is not only completely acceptable - it\u2019s how it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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7. Practice<\/h2>\n

Like any new skill, the best way to really find your groove with networking is to practice. The more conversations you have, the more you\u2019ll begin to enjoy putting yourself out there.<\/p>\n

After all, what\u2019s the worst that can happen? So leave your commuter etiquette at the door and strike up a conversation with a stranger - who knows where it might end up.<\/p>\n

City Academy runs bespoke Networking courses for business. Find out more here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Looking for more networking opportunities? Check out my suggestions of where to start:<\/i><\/p>\n

Urbano - Good for Creatives<\/a><\/p>\n

BNC - Good for Event Professionals<\/a><\/p>\n

CIPD - Good for L&D\/HR Professionals<\/a><\/p>\n

British Chamber of Commerce - Good for large tender opportunities across sectors<\/a><\/p>\n

Federation of Small Businesses - Good for SMEs<\/a><\/p>\n

London Underground - Good for practicing your newfound skills on the go!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Sales Director, Peter Spring shares his experiences and tips on business networking. I love networking events. I love walking…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":11867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[320],"tags":[78,803,349,1399,802,804],"yoast_head":"\nBusiness Networking: Field of Dreams or Minefield? - City Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"City Academy's Sales Director, Peter Spring shares his experience and top tips on how to excel at and enjoy business networking.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business Networking: Field of Dreams or Minefield? - City Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"City Academy's Sales Director, Peter Spring shares his experience and top tips on how to excel at and enjoy business networking.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"City Academy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-15T15:24:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-29T10:05:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Peter-Spring-Thumbnail.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1093\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"840\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"info\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"info\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.city-academy.com\/news\/business-networking-field-of-dreams-or-minefield\/\",\"name\":\"Business Networking: Field of Dreams or Minefield? 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