How I lost my virginity at a property event
By Nilesh Gohil | August 27, 2010
The pressure of being a ‘virgin’ (new attendee) at a property event can be overwhelming. Butterflies in your stomach, dry throat, legs turn into jelly and being lost for words are some of the symptoms of that all too familiar ‘first time’ experience.
As we all know networking is a great way of generating new business in an informal, non-pressurised environment. With the right amount of schmoozing and boozing you can create more leads than Champions Day at Crufts. Like everything else though, there is a right way and a oh- so -very-wrong way of networking at property events.
Here is my guide (taken from beetroot red-faced experience) of how NOT to network at a property event.
1. BE SHY AND APPREHENSIVE ABOUT MAKING AN APPROACH TO SOMEONE.
Like teenagers at a 80s disco, delegates are there to be chatted up, but if you’re going to act like a wallflower/shrinking violet, then some cool cat will shuffle over and get the first dance with someone you’ve being making eyes at all day.
2. STUTTER, WAFFLE AND FUMBLE AS YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF
If there’s 3 people you don’t want on your side it’s stutter, waffle and fumble. You are there trying to make a good impression with someone and those trio of monkeys tie your tongue up in knots, leaving you feeling like a toddler who’s just failed his first elocution lesson.
3. SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN
Staying quiet is a prerequisite in a rural monastery, but in a noisy conference atrium, blankety blanks are about as welcome as a fart in a lift. Stand there long enough with nothing to say and the person next to you will mistake you for a mannequin and move on.
4. BORE THE DELEGATE TO DEATH
You’ve conquered your fear, you’ve made your pitch, you passed on your details, now what you DON’T want to do is stick to your contact like a barnacle on a rusty boat. There are other people in the room, so quit while you’re ahead before they start scanning the room for someone else to talk to.
As I have found to my cost, these 4 absolute no-nos are to be avoided at any property event in the future. Instead display plenty of charm, professionalism and good manners and there’s every reason to believe networking can work for you.
LESSONS LEARNT
After too many humiliating performances at property events up and down the country, I sat myself down one day and decided to make some decisions about how I could network effectively in future. So here is what I have learnt from ‘pressing the flesh’ at numerous property events throughout the UK recently:
1. Be yourself. Self explanatory I know, but don’t try to be someone you’re not. People see through facades easily.
2. Make an effort. You might have come a long way to be there, so least you can do is work the room and try and make as many contacts as possible. If you are nervous, just know what you want to say in your head, take a deep breath and approach. The more approaches you make, the easier it should become.
3. Learn to listen. If you are often stuck for words, just listen to what the speaker has to say when they are talking. You should be able to pick up conversational cues from what they are talking about.
4. Bring plenty of business cards. It’s a bit embarrassing when you are asked for one and haven’t got a card, so make sure you bring plenty to hand out to people. It’s the little details that make a big impression.
5. Use breath freshener and deodorant. Might seem silly but you’re going to be up close and personal with delegates all day, so personal hygiene is a must for a proper business presentation.
I didn’t want my business to miss the opportunity of meeting so many property people in one place, so I made a vow to myself to ‘up my game’ for all subsequent events. In some ways my mistakes have being a blessing in disguise and I now feel confident in my abilities to network effectively.
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