This is part of a comprehensive article “The 10 Deadly Sins of Naughty Networkers”…
1. Mixing up selling with networking
Inexperienced networkers think they have to sell their services, products or company when they attend business events. What a terrible way to start a relationship. The only thing we sell is ourselves and our personality. Find out what other people do and listen carefully to see if your knowledge and expertise may be useful to them.
2. Not planning or preparing enough
You would never go to a business meeting without doing some preparation or planning. The sinner ‘just turns up’ hoping for the best. Consider ‘Who is going to be there?’. ‘What is the format of the event?’. ‘Why am I going?’ ‘Where is the event?’. ‘When does it start and finish?’. ‘Which outfit shall I wear?’. ‘How you dress is vital; people judge you before you start to speak. ‘How am I going to break the ice, get into groups, move on after the conversation has finished etc etc?’.