Events have the potential to add immense value to you.

But if you do take time to go to an event, realize it’s a big investment. Not only does the event itself cost money, you also have the cost of the hotel and the flights. Not to mention, if it’s a three-day event, you have the day before to travel there and the day after to travel back. You’re taking several days away from your main business, and borrowing from your income stream to make the event possible.

Therefore, if you don’t know how to network when you get to the event, then you’re going to be wasting your time, wasting your money, and you’re not going to be maximizing a tool that could really help you build your business more effectively.

Here are a couple of things you can do to get the most value out of your events.

Prep Beforehand

Never fly blind into the event. Don’t wait until you show up on day one to the event to find out who the speakers are. Do research. Figure out ways to connect with the higher-level people that are there. Learn about some of the other attendees. Maybe even look at who some of the sponsors are.

Do prep beforehand that’s going to allow you to maximize your time while you’re there.

If you want to connect with one of the speakers at an event, take time right now to sit down and write out a handwritten note – a thank you note or something – and send it out to those speakers to let them know that you’re going to be at the event. That way, when you go to the event and you meet them, you’re not just another person in the crowd. You’re actually a person that has previously communicated. This will differentiate you from everybody else at the event.

Sometimes it might not work, but, at the very least, it’s a conversation starter. You can go up to them and say, “Hey, did you ever get that note that I mailed you? Did you ever get that gift card? Did you ever get that watch?” Whether they did or if they didn’t, it’s still a great segue into a conversation.

Look For Ways to Connect Outside of the Main Event

Be on the look out for other meetups or parties – opportunities to connect with people on a more intimate level that maybe even aren’t a part of the event. The best times for me at events have been spur-of-the-moment activities or parties that are planned by some of the other attendees at the event.

Get in with some of those groups of people and start building real memories and experiences that last instead of squandering it with sleep.

I tell people sleep is for after and before events. It’s not for during events. So if you can help it at all, try to make sure that you are willing to stay up a little bit later, drink that extra cup of coffee, and make stuff happen so you can connect with people and maximize the time that you have while you’re there at the event.

Let Others Talk

I was going to say “shut up,” but I think that that sounds a little too harsh, so I say “let others talk.”

When you connect with other people, don’t dominate the conversation with an elevator pitch about what you do and why they should do business with you.

Ask insightful questions and try to get the other people to talk. People will never, ever, ever remember what you say, but they will always, always, always remember how you made them feel.

If you take the time to be genuinely curious and interested in what that person is doing or what their main mission in life is, they’re going to leave that interaction with you thinking, “Man, this guy made me feel good about myself.”

You want them to feel like they they were heard, like their message matters and that you truly understand and care. Be genuine about that. Be interested, not interesting, and I think that you’ll have a lot more success.

If you can do these three things, you’ll have a great head start on a lot of people.

And, if you are looking to implement some of these strategies at an actual event, then please consider going to buildyournetworklive.com and grab a spot to my live event out here in Las Vegas, November 8th-10th of 2019 at Top Golf. It’s going to be a fantastic time, and I can’t wait to see you out here.