Five Most Common Mistakes Made at Business Mixers

If you’re going to do your networking “old school” style, here are five common mistakes that you should avoid at mixers, and their solutions.

Passing as many cards as possible is NOT the answer.
Most of us have heard the three-foot rule. Anyone who comes within reach should get a business card. I call this marathon networking. They slip a card into your hand, introduce themselves, and then ask what you do. While you are answering, they are looking over your shoulder for their next victim…I mean contact.

Set a realistic number of people you want to meet and truly connect with. Spend three to ten minutes with each person. Setting an appointment for coffee to learn more is an effective way to move on.
This mixer is NOT all about you.
If everyone at a mixer goes with the idea of expanding their business, then who is there to help others? If you want to be an effective networker, the answer is YOU. If you truly want to shock someone and make them remember who you are, do not talk about yourself any more than necessary. Spend five to ten minutes talking about them, their business, their needs, and how you can help them. They will ask questions, but you give quick answers and turn the conversation right back to them. Offer to follow up and thank them for their time. You will be remembered though they know little about you.
Do not wait for people to come to you.
There are many people who stand back and wait for networking to happen. Networking does happen, but not with them. If you are one of the ones who are standing in a corner waiting for someone to come to you, look to another corner. There is someone standing there. Go introduce yourself to them. They will be thankful that you did.
When someone hands you a business card, do NOT just shove it in your pocket.
Most of us grab a card, perhaps glance at it then it disappears into our pocket. There are many ways to use that card to your benefit. Here are a few:

Look at the card, if there is something remarkable about it, make the remark. People have put time and energy into creating their card; they will appreciate you noticing.
Hold the card during the conversation and look from the person to their name several times. Many people feel that they are poor at remembering names. This is a great technique to help.
Write something special about the meeting on the back of the card. This can be an accomplishment, a comment, a joke they told, or any other unique thing about that meeting.
When you leave the mixer, you are NOT done networking.
Nothing is more important than how and when you follow up. Let no more than two days pass before mailing a personal note. You can take the time to hand write the note, or you can use an online service. I use a combination of personal notes and SendOut Cards. The best system is the one you will use faithfully. For a huge impact, this is where you reference what you have written on their business card. In your personal note, include “I loved that joke about…” or “I hope your daughter is feeling better.” You are now a rock star in their mind.

The next follow up is a call within a week. There are two things to do during this call. First, tell them how much you enjoyed meeting them. Then set an appointment to meet with them and learn more about their business.

You have made the meeting and follow up all about them. When is it about you? It becomes about you when they make it about you. Because you have spent your time and energy focusing on them and listening to their needs, they will make it about you. If they do not, after all of your effort, you have eliminated what would have been a headache.

Jon Colson is the author of the book If Your Product Sells Itself, Shut UP!
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