{"id":36501,"date":"2023-10-20T14:44:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T14:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/six-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-networking-from-a-founder-planning-100-events-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T14:44:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T14:44:30","slug":"six-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-networking-from-a-founder-planning-100-events-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/six-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-networking-from-a-founder-planning-100-events-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Six tips for getting the most out of networking from a founder planning 100 events &#8211; StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"445\" height=\"352\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/l_networking-445.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"l_networking-445\"\/><\/div>\n<p>A Melbourne startup founder wants networking to be less like speed dating and more rewarding for entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Entrepreneur Social Club (ESC) founder Jessica Williams is planning to host over 100 startup events in Melbourne this year.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After attending several networking events in Melbourne and interstate, Williams tells <i>Startupsmart <\/i>she found there were limited opportunities to genuinely connect with people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/241550935&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThings like speed networking with shoving business cards in each other\u2019s faces can be really superficial and you walk away not getting much out of it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To address this, Williams designed her own series of events for networkers to create meaningful connections.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re dedicated to helping entrepreneurs become more successful and our primary focus is developing a hub that connects everyone in our [startup] community to share resources and help them grow,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>ESC\u2019s events range from up-skilled workshops and investor-entrepreneur matching nights to retreats and singles nights.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Most of these are free and funded through partnerships, she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In her own journey, networking has been a powerful tool in getting ESC off the ground.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cESC has basically been built off sharing of resources,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Its community has grown to more than 1500 members.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams says genuine networking is an excellent way for startups to connect with investors, partners, co-founders, partners and consumers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And these are her top six rules to getting it right.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>1. Be interested, not interesting <\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says being genuinely interested in the people you network with is critical in forming long-term relationships.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpend more time listening,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We all know people like to talk about themselves and remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This advice is echoed by <a href=\"financing-a-business\/venture-capital\/the-best-investment-vc-veteran-ashton-kutcher-made\/2016010816231.html\">investment VC veteran<\/a> Ashton Kutcher who stresses the importance of understanding connections\u2019 needs and motivations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>2. Share <\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says sharing knowledge, tips and contacts in the community you engage with is an excellent way to gain traction and build a healthy startup ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeize every chance to be helpful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecoming known as a powerful resource will put you front and centre.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>3. Volunteer at a networking night <\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says volunteering is the best way to overcome networking nerves.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She recommends messaging organisers on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meetup.com\/find\/?allMeetups=false&amp;keywords=startup&amp;radius=5&amp;userFreeform=Melbourne%2C+Australia&amp;mcName=Melbourne%2C+AU&amp;lat=-37.813995&amp;lon=144.96329&amp;sort=default\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meetup.com<\/a>, where a wide range of events for startups and entrepreneurs are regularly posted, and offering to assist at their event.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says volunteering eliminates the need for you to approach unknown faces cold.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a really smart strategy to have people come to you naturally,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>4. Consider the person\u2019s networks and possibilities <\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When networking, Williams\u00a0advises that you don\u2019t write people off if they don\u2019t present immediate value.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe person you\u2019re speaking to may not be able to help you now but someone in their network might,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says exchanging contacts and resources facilitates this process and creates more opportunity for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd always remember, someone may not be able to help you now but this can always change in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>5. Ditch the pitch <\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0has seen the elevator pitch in action many times at networking events with the robotic delivery often drawing an automatic lack of interest.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one wants to be sold to,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are more inclined to do business with you if they genuinely like and enjoy your company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>6. Host your own networking night<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Williams\u00a0says organising and hosting your networking nights lets you choose the type of people you get to meet whether they be investors, entrepreneurs or skilled people to link with for long-term growth.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With platforms like Meetup.com, creating and hosting professional events have become much easier to coordinate Williams\u00a0says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most powerful strategies at your disposal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Follow <\/i><i>StartupSmart on <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StartUpSmart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Facebook<\/i><\/a><i>, <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/startupsmartnow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Twitter<\/i><\/a><i>, and <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/startupsmart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>LinkedIn<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Melbourne startup founder wants networking to be less like speed dating and more rewarding for entrepreneurs. &nbsp; Entrepreneur Social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,27,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}