Today’s goal: build your confidence to network in person at your next event
In episode 4 of Beauty Boss Goals, I share my experience stepping out of my comfort zone by attending an in-person networking brunch by myself.
I had the honor to attend The Black Table Brunch on August 19, 2018 at the Josephine Butler Center in downtown Washington, DC. The event was hosted by Fanm a Fanm, and it was billed as morning of delicious food, community, and discussion.
The Black Table is the perfect spot to make new friends, nibble brunch bites and discuss the importance of Black Women Bloggers. This will be a celebration of our unique power– but also a call to action. It’s time to build our power and organize our community to promote Black Women Influencers.
Top 5 Tips for Navigating Your Networking Event
- Wear something that makes you feel amazing! You will feel more confident, and you will be willing to approach more people with your best foot forward. There is no second chance for a first impression.
- Bring or wear something that helps associate you with your brand. For example, I love bold lipstick colors, so I wore my favorite one to the event.
- Either bring business cards or a pen/paper, and be prepared to exchange your social media information on the spot. Since this was an Instagram heavy event, many of the ladies preferred to just hand over their phones and follow each other on IG.
- Set a reasonable goal for your networking. I went into this event saying I would meet five new people, but I ended up almost tripling that within the first hour! I felt accomplished because I hit the goal I set out to achieve.
- Follow up with your new contacts. In the next few days after the event, make an effort to connect with some of the contacts you made at the event, even if it’s just to say hi or comment on their latest social media posts.
I hope that was helpful! Let me know what you do when you are preparing to attend a networking event, and stay tuned for my next episode about attending your company’s sales conference!
