How to Maximize Networking Events

Networking events are a great way to expand your connections and increase your awareness as a business, but often times what I have seen is some people get amazing results while others go home empty handed.

Here are 5 pointers that will help you increase your success rate.

1.)  Don’t go in trying to sell your product/service in mind, instead try to honestly just make connections and see how you can help people. I’ve seen people pushing their product/service down other people’s throats and it just repels everyone. When you’re really interested in someone and you have something that can make their life easier, everything will just click naturally.

2.)  Don’t expect people to approach you! Okay this is nerve racking for most people… especially if you are alone representing your company, but I’ve managed to excel by applying these principles:

a.   Use the three second rule: Don’t over think, when you see someone interesting count to three in your head and say something, the good old fashion “hi my name is__________” Works great.

b.   Build trust: Talk about how you’re connected to the event or what college you went to, this will help establish some common ground.

c.   Ask questions: Be interested in them and see if you both might be a good match for potential business in the future.

3.) Know when to move on. There are so many different people and you paid a lot of money to be at the event, so realize that not everyone will be a perfect match for potential business. Learn to avoid time wasters (people that are their just to collect free samples and talk endlessly about their cats… we’ve all been their) but always make sure to be professional and respectful when avoiding these time wasters. If you spent an hour talking to someone that has no future potential in anyway, then you could have missed an opportunity to talk to someone who could really use your business, so just keep that in mind.

4.) Take Notes and Follow up fast! When you get contact information in any form, take notes about something specific in the conversation. This will allow people to remember who you are. Also make sure to follow up the next day at the latest; everyone meets so many people at these events that if you wait more, you might have lost the opportunity.

5.) Add every person you meet on LinkedIn. Building your circle on LinkedIn can bring amazing results, so just keep connecting!

If you take this advice you’ll start noticing a significant improvement in your overall success rate when going to any networking events. One last thing, be friendly. Everyone is in a similar situation at these events, so try to avoid negative emotions and just have fun with it.

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David Mansilla Commended by Conestoga College in their 50 Years Celebration Magazine

Conestoga College created a special edition magazine this week –in collaboration with the Waterloo Region Record and supported by partners and friends of the college- to celebrate its 50 years of building communities and careers.

In one of its articles, they write about Conestoga College Alumni and how they are making an impact in the community by changing lives and inspiring others to achieve goals.  Clearly, their college graduate’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed.

Check out the story about our very own David Mansilla on their digital edition (on pg. 20).

"In 1996, David Mansilla completed Conestoga’s Microcomputer Applications certificate program. Today, he's the CEO of Waterloo-based ISU Corp, an international software development, and consulting company. In 2016, Insights Success named him among the 50 Most Creative CEOs to Watch...."

Read the full article in this link to the Digital Magazine

How to Work Smart While Travelling

There are millions of obstacles when you're trying to work while travelling, but you shouldn't let that stop you. Seeing different parts can open up an entire world of possibilities and break the dull everyday routine that you are currently use too. Not everyone will get the chance to travel while still working productively, but thanks to the web, it has allowed for some amazing tools that are making it a lot easier to manage.

I've had the opportunity to travel to a lot of various places for trade-shows and other meetings, while still being expected to do all my daily tasks. At first it was hard to find a balance and with all the complications, I was getting overwhelmed but the more I did it the better I got. Here are some of the tips that will make your life a lot easier without having to learn from trial and error like I did.

1.) Find Reliable Internet Access

This is one of the most important on the list! It is not enough to just have Internet, it has to be reliable. Try to find great internet at the hotel your staying at, it will make your life a lot easier and dig deep, go online and read reviews to see what people say about the internet. If their isn't any, call and ask the manager of the hotel about the reliability, tell them it is real important to you and they will be honest. Remember reliability is more important then speed, although you still need it fast enough to be productive.

2.) Plan Out Your Schedule in Full Detail

Before leaving, plan out your priorities for that entire week based on importance. Plan out how you are going to schedule your day to be productive, and enjoy the new location. Remember it is all about working smart! Set goals each day on what important tasks you want to accomplish, and stick to it.

3.) Work Extra Before Leaving

If you know you have something due mid week next week while your travelling, try to finish it that weekend or work over time during the week before you leave. The more you get out of the way before you go on the trip, the more relaxed you will be and the easier it will be to manage. This one has helped me have a lot more free time during my trips.

4.) Use a Business Collaboration Tool

It is really beneficial to have a business portal where you can access all your projects/tasks and have real time updates on what is going on within your organization. This has saved me a lot of time and struggles. Being able to access all the projects that have been assigned to me with all the related files in the same place, through anywhere there is internet... is amazing.

5.) Get Use to Improvising

The main reason your learning all this is because you want to get out of the same old schedule and have amazing experiences, so improvising is going to have to become your friend! Nothing usually works out 100% like you intend it to but learn to go with it and improvise, some people get nervous or filled with fear (Read my last blog post to help with overcoming fear...) but instead you should be excited and passionate, unpredictability is an awesome part of life, you never know who you will meet, what places you'll go or what situation you'll get into. The more you focus on the positivity within each situation, the better it'll go for you.

If you incorporate all this in your next travel/work experience I can guarantee it will be a lot easier for you to manage and enjoy the trip. One last thing; don't have expectations, go to the location with a blank mind and an open heart to truly enjoy the experience, no matter what happens.
 

Happy travelling!