Network Tips: The Montgomery Summit Conference

The Montgomery Summit Conference is coming up again this March. If you are planning to travel to Santa Monica to attend it, you’re going to want to go fully prepared for a successful experience. If you are looking for a few extra ways to improve your networking skills before the event, here are some things you should implement in preparation for the Montgomery Summit Conference.

Have Your Elevator Pitch Ready to Go

If you have a new project or company you are developing and you are looking for partners or investors, you need to be painstakingly precise when talking about your vision. If you can’t explain it in 30 seconds or less, you’re not ready to talk about it yet. You don’t want to waste anyone’s time, but you want to maximize the poignancy of what you are talking about. Before you even get to the conference and settle into your hotel room, practice your elevator pitch a few times. Run it by a friend or colleague and ask them for insight and suggestions on how to improve any parts that might come across as unclear.

Even if you aren’t pitching a project, company, or other development that you hope to have partners or investors for, you are a professional attending a technology and business conference and you are going to need to introduce yourself to others as such. Your brief introduction is your own personal elevator pitch. Be prepared to say who you are, what you do, and why you are attending the conference. If you are handing out business cards, consider also handing out something like a couple of promotional pens with your business name and logo on it. This is a great way to stand out and make a lasting impression.

Show Interest When Speaking to People

Networking is a craft. It’s something to continuously strive to get better at and master. When you are networking, one important rule to remember is to make the person you are talking to feel important. Show interest in what they are saying and give them all of your attention at that moment. Ask them questions to show you have a genuine interest in what they do and that you are paying attention to what they are saying. People like to talk about themselves, and they like when other people have a genuine interest in them. Build stronger connections with the people you are networking with by giving them your undivided attention.

Come Bearing Gifts

In addition to having a stack of business cards handy, another way to extend the conversation with people at the event is by handing them something with your business name and logo on it, like custom company notebooks. Not only will these freebies have your company information on it for them to look up later, but you are also giving them a free gift that they can use and remember you by. When you are attending any event and doing a lot of networking, you want to find any way possible to make yourself stand out and cement your name in the minds of those you talk to.

Don’t Forget to Follow Up

One of the most crucial parts of networking is what you do after making the initial connection with someone new. Make sure you stay connected with everyone you networked with by following shortly afterward. Send an email thanking them and telling them that you are grateful for the new connection. Use that email as an opportunity to send them something relevant to whatever you spoke about during your conversation. This could be something as small as a link to an article or blog that might be useful to them and their work. Don’t immediately advertise yourself or try to talk business; rather, use this brief, friendly email as a way to maintain the connection. Your goal is to show that you remembered them and that you are willing to help them out professionally in the future. And if you are dealing with a really important connection, consider mailing them a little gift, like custom company mugs.

Take Care of Yourself

One thing is for certain: You are going to be busy at this conference. From networking receptions to one-on-one meetings to company presentations, you are going to be all over the event space from morning until night. If you want to maintain enough energy to network and be on top of your game, you’ll need to remember to take care of yourself. At any networking reception where alcohol is present, drink in moderation (two drinks max) and remember to stay hydrated. It’s a two-day event, so keep up your stamina. Make sure to get a full eight hours of sleep and have enough time for yourself in the morning to work out, eat a hearty breakfast, and get dressed in your best business attire. You need to be ready to make as many new connections as possible.

The key to ensuring that your time at Montgomery Summit Conference is fruitful is having a plan of action for networking. After mixing and mingling with professionals in your field, be sure to follow up with your new contacts when you are back home so you can all continue the conversation. As we mentioned above, one of the most effective ways to ensure those you connected with don't forget you is by sending them small corporate gifts as a thank-you for their time.