Hey all! With the election yesterday I delayed this week’s guest expert.

Also, IRL stands for In Real Life. It was the only way I could get all of the words in the description!

This week I’m very excited to have Ambassador Mike Bruny — @ambassadorbruny — as our guest expert. 

Ambassador Mike works with individuals and businesses to do a better job networking at real world events, like Social Media Marketing World!, by preparing before hand through social media.

He even has a great slogan: Hashtags to Handshakes.

Whether you’re planning on attending SMMW in San Diego next year, or just have some local events you wish to attend to help grow your business, Ambassador Mike can help out.

I’m going to get the ball rolling with the first question:

How can I use social media to find out who’s going to a conference I’m attending, and then how do I break the ice with those people?

Great question Rich.  I’m going to keep it simple with two paths:1. Check with the organizer to find out what they have set-up for the conference (Facebook page, Linkedin Group, Twitter Hashtag, etc.).  Once you know that information, jump in there and start by introducing yourself.

Path #2:Let’s say you already know the hashtag for the event.  Start by following the hashtag on Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or your tool of choice.  When you see others use the hashtag, introduce yourself and let them know you are looking forward to meeting them.

*Special note for all my SME peeps, “no more ice breaking.”  You already have something “in common” with the folks going to the conference…you are going to the conference (little mind shift).

Helpful?

Note: I especially want to hear from my introverted friends while I’m with you today.

@ambassadorbruny I noticed your comment about introverted folks. I find this topic so interesting. 

I know so many people who are really intelligent, have a lot to offer and with folks that they know, they are truly outgoing and engaging. However, when they enter a networking function or are faced with being one on one with strangers they feel nervous, shy and uncomfortable. 

What is your advice to them?

Hey @JohnLeeDumas / @EntrepreneurOnFire . What’s the first thing I did when I saw your question?  I went to your site (which is awesome).  I got a sense of what you are working on, who you are and who are the kind of guests you’ve had on your show.  

You already know this based on the cool guest you’ve already had on your show; focus on being of service to your guest.  What are they looking to promote, what are they currently working on. Armed with that information you are not asking them to just be on your show, you are letting them know “why” you want THEM on your show.  
Okay the tactics:

• Research what they are working on.
• Look through and reach out to your own network to see if anyone already knows the people you want to connect with (Linkedin is a good way to go). Ask for an introduction
• Follow their work on different social media sites and their blog.  Look for opportunities to comment and engage.  
• Invite them to be on your show. 

How are you doing @JoanCrocker ?  I’m with you on the introverted side of things.  I so see the power, the value and all they have to offer, but it doesn’t always shine through (A bit of a generalization about introverts as I have been recently schooled that there are all kinds of introverts out there, including those that are outgoing in social situations).  

To answer the overall question for folks who don’t feel comfortable with new people or who don’t do well in groups settings (multiply by 10 when it’s a conference), here are my thoughts:

1. Get clear on what you have to offer: That’s right, take inventory before you go into a situation. I tell folks to use this acronym–W.H.E.N. as a guide for capturing what you have to offer. It stands for Work, Hobbies, Education & Network. We all need to be reminded of how great we are.  And “yes,” we have something to offer in every situation if it is nothing more than our curiosity.
2. Make friends before you need them.  Cliche, but when tied to the conference space it means connecting with people before the actual conference starts.  That can be online or one-on-one at a coffee shop.  What happens when you connect with people beforehand and you walk into a conference knowing that you have support and people who anticipate meeting you in person?  It decreases the anxiety of being the only one who doesn’t know anyone.  I call the whole online to offline thing, turning “#Hashtags To Handshakes.”
3. Play to your strength: Guess what, most folks look at me as this outgoing, bow tie wearing, conference attending dude who can navigate a group conversation like nobody’s business.  That’s partly true!  I also have a need for deeper conversation.  What does that mean?  It means I use the bigger group setting as an opportunity to see who I want to connect with on a deeper level.  It means I may pull someone aside and say, “I’d really like to learn more about you and your work; let’s grab a couple of chairs and sit in this corner off to the side.”  If one-on-one is your strength, then use it.  Think about the bigger conference setting as going to the supermarket and picking the right fruit.  You gotta look and feel out the fruit (please don’t go literally grabbing people and telling them Ambassador Bruny told you to do it) and decide which 1 or 2 are right for you.
4. The Bigger Picture: This is actually the #1 thing.  Ask yourself, what is “not” going to happen if I don’t make the connections I need to make.  What cause, what goal, what good in the world will not be shared if you don’t connect with others.  And don’t forget, what opportunities for you to help someone else will be missed.  We don’t network for the sake of networking.  There is something bigger behind it. 

@Phil-Mershon it is my pleasure.  Thanks for the thanks.  My thoughts from an event manager perspective.  First my philosophy on the subject: “Long after the conference has concluded, it’s the connections that continue.” Next, I have 3 things for you, a congrats, a joke (kind of) and a few steps.
The Congrats.  I’ve looked over what you have set-up for SMMW and I can tell you are serious about helping people to make connections.  The #1 thing that says you are serious to me is having someone like Larry Benet from SANG early in the program (I can’t tell you how many times I speak at conferences and they want me to be late in the day or even day 2–a missed opportunity for folks to apply what they are learning at the current conference in my humble opinion).
The Joke…kinda (I’m only doing this cause it’s @Rich-brooks group and he allows such tomfoolery).  The quick answer to making networking more comfortable at events is to have Ambassador Bruny there. .  
Here is why it’s kind of a joke; you want to have ambassadors that help to bridge the gap based on people’s interest and other things they have in common.  Sometimes you can identify your ambassadors based on their interaction in your conference social media groups or you may already know who you want to help.  
A Few Steps: 

• -Create opportunities for people to connect before the conference.  I’ve used a video speed networking event that allows people to connect for 5 minutes using Skype and then move them on to another participant when the time is over (they also have the option of following each other on Linkedin to keep the relationship going).  This kind of event helps with a number of things: 1. It brings people back to the 1 on 1 element and 2. It answers the question I get all the time, “How do I leave a conversation without being rude?”  In this case it’s easy; wait 5 minutes (a little tongue and cheek there but it’s kind of true). See YakFirst.com for more info (let me know if you would like an intro to one of the founders).
• -Environment: Create spaces where a few people can gather (2-3 at a time); i’m talking small cocktail tables, maybe a beanbag area.  Bouncy exercise balls work great (it stimulates conversation; see the work of Cheryl Dolan). Have things like “Table Topics” laying around to stimulate conversation.
• -Networking is never enough: I’ve observed that some organizers answer to helping people connect is, “I’ll add a networking break and add a networking event at the end of day.”  That’s not enough (I don’t totally blame ‘em as they are juggling a million things– I’ve run my share of events).  The more people I talk to, the more I find that many will just disappear to their room during a break or networking event.

Definitely my pleasure Eileen (@supereb).

@milan-steskal let me know if I may be of assistance in any way. We can connect offline.