1. Meaningful moments – making the most of speed networking
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” – an old adage maybe, but networking is as important to the business
world today as it ever was. Speed networking may be a modern phenomenon, but with half the population now
socialising in cyberspace, there’s something reassuringly traditional about it. While such a brief encounter could
be seen as symbolic of the hectic style of modern life, speed networking relies on good old face to face contact,
taking turns, and trying to make a good impression.
Networking roots
You won’t be surprised to hear that speed networking is a spin-off from speed dating. You may be surprised
however to learn that speed dating is supposed to have been started by a Los Angeles Rabbi in the late 90s as a
way for young Jewish singles to find a partner. Numerous websites now offer advice on how to sparkle at speed,
with hundreds of suggested questions for unimaginative daters to probe each other with. A word of caution –
almost none of these are suitable for speed networking. For example the question: ‘They say Alexander the Great
kept a dagger and a copy of the Iliad under his pillow – what do you keep under your pillow?’ risks missing the
mood of the event. But we’ve slipped off at a tangent, something that speed networking has no time for….
How it works
You will be shuffled around the room to talk to different delegates at the precise rate of four minutes per chat.
The time should be divided up as follows:
• you talk about your business or role;
• your partner talks about his or her business;
• you both identify common interests and swap details. Remember - “two monologues do not make a
dialogue” (American designer, Jeff Daly).
• A whistle will be blown and you then have 30 seconds to move on to the next meeting, and so
on….and on.
Netiquette
Remember the two golden rules:
Rule 1 Talking about yourself for more than your allotted time
is like yodeling at a funeral – it’s just not done.
Rule 2 The buzzer must be obeyed. Anyone lingering beyond
the four minutes risks being forcibly manhandled on to his/her
next partner by patrolling facilitators.
There’s always space though for one more timeless saying -
the networker’s mantra: ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’. Think
not just what your partner can do for you, but….well, you know
what we mean.
Now get talking!
Author: Richard Neville, www.richardneville.org
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