Flying Solo – B2B Networking Events. My Do’s and Don’ts

I’ve been to networking events before, but this was my first since starting my own business, and this made the whole experience feel different.

Afterwards, as part of my post networking follow up, I reflected on what I thought went well, what I thought could have gone better, and what I would do differently if I attended again.

For my first solo event, I chose to attend the Bournemouth B2B Business Expo at the Vitality Stadium on 7th March 2024. I compiled the following list of do’s and don’ts in my effort to decide whether or not networking was for me…

1. DO – Attend the seminars

The reason for this is two-fold:

Firstly, they are interesting and fun. It is a great opportunity to hear from people who know what they are doing and love talking about it. The seminars I attended were:

• Business blunders & bloody great ideas – John Attridge
• How to make networking actually work for your business – Jade Binstead
• 25 ways to persuade, influence and win business – Annelies James
• Content Planning: Making marketing and campaigns easier to manage – Nicky Rudd

2. DON’T – Skip breakfast

Make sure you eat before you get there and take lots of easy to eat snacks. It’s a long day and the last thing you want to be worried about is your tummy grumbling during a quiet moment in a seminar.

3. DO – Be approachable

This one took me a while. There were a lot of people, and everybody but me seemed to exude confidence and purpose. I very quickly felt like I had no purpose, and spent the first two hours frantically trying not to make eye contact, which is difficult to do in a place people have intentionally gathered in order to meet other people. I wouldn’t have approached me, and not many people did. So, straighten those shoulders, head up and be prepared to smile. A lot.

4. DON’T – Throw the towel in early

At the halfway point, I was tired, hungry and seriously contemplating a career change. The only reason I didn’t leave was because there was an event I wanted to attend later on in the day.

Trying new things is hard, and you are very rarely going to be lucky enough to nail something the first time you try it, so if you commit to attending the event, stay the whole day. You may just end up surprising yourself. (I did!)

5. DO – Have a clear understanding of why you are there

It’s like a chat up line. You need something you can say that sounds natural, confident, and ideally can be delivered in ten seconds or less. People move on quickly when you mumble something incoherent.

This piece of golden advice came from my mentor (and friend) Jon Sanctuary, who, upon receiving my ‘WHAT AM I DOING HERE’ text message fourteen minutes into the expo, called me, talked me down and told me I just needed to have a good reason as to why I was there. (Side note: DO – have a trusted friend on speed dial for when the inevitable anxiety and self-doubt creeps in. Thanks Jon.)

6. DON’T – Glare at stall holders who are confidently pitching all of your potential clients

Honestly, it just makes you look weird.

7. DO – Take plenty of business cards

You’ll need them – trust me

8. DON’T – Drink too much coffee

In an effort to appear less aimless, I bought, clutched and subsequently drank copious amounts of coffee. As a result, my brain convinced my nervous system that I was under threat of imminent attack. This is not helpful in a situation where smiling people pop out from behind area dividers with alarming frequency.

9. DO – Attend the speed networking events

This event was hosted by Ribbons Network and was the reason I stayed, and I was glad I did. We were provided with a structure, ice breaker questions and an amount of time in which to talk. I felt far more comfortable having conversations this way and appreciated being encouraged to talk about what I do and why I’m good at it, with people who were there to do the same.

10. DON’T – Try to be something you’re not

I went into the event with an idea in my mind of what I was ‘supposed’ to be, and quickly felt out of place. The second I stopped trying to be someone else, I had really good conversations, and made connections with people I may actually work with in the future.

In conclusion, despite being initially terrifying, I had a good time at the B2B networking event and would definitely go again. And my key takeaway from the whole experience is to be confident.

It is okay to promote yourself and tell people you are great at what you do…especially if it’s true.