Your eyes glaze over.

Your attention wanders.

And after about three minutes, you want to throw up your hands, yell “I can’t take it!” and run out the front door.

What happened? You were attacked by a conversation bully. You know, one of those people who dominates the entire conversation, blathering on (and on and on) about themselves, their job, their company, their achievements…

…and learning absolutely nothing about you.

It happens all the time. And when it comes to professional networking, it’s the biggest blunder out there.

What? You say this doesn’t happen to you all the time?

Then (gulp) maybe you’re one of “those people” (in which case, you REALLY need to keep reading).

Regardless of how you use business networking events – to identify new business opportunities, broaden your circle of influence, recruit candidates, solicit advice for solving a challenge you’re experiencing – you’ll dramatically improve your results if you do this one simple thing:

Ask questions!

In the first five minutes of a networking conversation (or any conversation, for that matter), using active listening skills to pose thoughtful questions is an absolute game changer. Here’s why:

• You’ll keep them engaged. The best small-talkers are perceived as interesting because they: stay in the moment; focus attention on the person they’re talking to; and show a genuine interest in learning about them.
• People often feel awkward talking to strangers. If you gently guide the conversation with questions, they don’t have to figure out what to say next – which puts them more at ease.
• You’ll identify all kinds of “openings” to form the basis of a strong business relationship. Maybe you’ll discover a common interest or client. Maybe you’ll be able to connect the individual to someone who can help them with a problem. Maybe you’ll even find your next business deal or the perfect job candidate for a position you’ve been struggling to fill. But you’ll never know unless you ask!

At your next networking event, try spending the first five minutes of each conversation listening more than you speak, and asking open-ended questions to learn about others. You’ll have more meaningful conversations that uncover more opportunities and ultimately lead to more meaningful connections.

Want tips for becoming a better listener?

This earlier post shares Three Ways to Improve Your Listening Skills.

What are you trying to achieve? What challenges are you facing? How can Exact Staff help?

We listen, ask the right questions, and then create solutions that offer the workforce flexibility, support and access to talent your team needs. What can we do for you? Contact a staffing expert at your local Exact Staff office today.