So your event is around the corner and you have an event app on hand. You’ve checked out all the event schedules, and maps, and have even created a personalized agenda for yourself. But going to panels and listening to speakers is not the only reason you’re going to an event. You want to meet people, find new leads, close deals, and network as much as possible. Lucky for you, your mobile app came equip with some very useful tools to help you grow your number of connections as efficiently as possible. Here are some quick tips on how best to put these networking tools to good use and to advance your career easily.
Know Your Goal
Before you can even begin thinking about how to network, you must keep in mind who your targets are. Perhaps you are looking for new leads, perhaps you are looking to familiarize yourself with clients, or perhaps you’d like to expand your professional connections with people working in the same industry. Whatever your end goal may be, the key is to always know what you would like to gain from your networking experience and focus on it. Having a clear target will help you narrow down your list of attendees to connect with and make your search easier and more efficient.
Research, Research, and Research
This is where your mobile app comes in. Once you have a clear list of objectives or a certain type of targets, turn on your Whova app and learn which of the attendees present will fit your criteria.
One way to do this is access the list of attendees present at the event with the button that says “Attendees”. Once you click on it, you can do further research on the attendees for your event. Whova is built to automatically research the internet and generate a professional profile page for each individual attendee documenting all his/her professional achievements and affiliations. By clicking on the each name on the attendee list, users can access that person’s professional profile to learn if he/she is the right fit to network with. If so, one way to remember is to bookmark the attendee. The option to do so is a star symbol located on the upper right hand corner of their profile page. Once you click it, the bookmarked attendee will be recorded in your list of bookmarked contacts (on the bottom row). Having this list of attendees you wish to network with can save you a lot of aimless searching during the actual event.
Another way to go about researching your required networking partners is through a button called, Discover, located on the home screen. Unlike the Attendee option, Discover is a custom crafted list of other attendees who share your professional background and similar connections. If you are looking to network with those in your industry, the Discover option is the best choice for you.
Put Your Best Face Forward
Before going to the event, you should know that just as you can search for another person’s profile, others can easily do the same for yours. In order to increase your network appeal for other people, visit your own profile by clicking the “Me” option on the bottom of the screen and check to see if your profile needs polishing. If there is something you would like to add or remove, there’s an edit option marked by a pencil symbol waiting at the top of the screen.
Use the Exchange Button
If you hit the contact option at the bottom of the screen, the first thing you will see is a big blue button. That is the exchange button. What you can do with it, is swap contact information for someone else by pressing the button simultaneously. The idea is like exchanging business cards, minus all the clutter and potential paper cuts. This way the information is stored in your phone for easy access.
Stay in a Niche Group
As long as you have a group of professionals in your industry present on the same app, it would be a good idea to communicate with them all at once. Having a group with your fellow attendees lets you discuss your questions and concerns, share information, and offer support to one another. This makes it easier to access a large number of your industry professionals at once and can even make future events or get-togethers easier to arrange.
If you are not sure how an event app works, you can familiarize yourself with it using our demo event!