Day 243: Networking like a Boss
You arrive at the networking event and look around the room. Everyone seems to already be engaged in conversation, glass in hand. You see people who could really help your business, but how do you introduce yourself? What do you say?
Networking at WVU LaunchLab
Students in Entrepreneurship for Lawyers today visited WVU Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab, a place where students and community members can go to develop and launch new ventures. Anne Jones, director of LaunchLab, led students in an exercise about how to present your idea when you’re looking to grow your network.
First, Jones gave a simple formula that can be adapted even to the shortest of pitching opportunities - “while the elevator door is closing,” Jones said. Every pitch, of any length, should have the following elements:
Hook
Problem
Solution
Ask
After grabbing the audience’s attention, you present the problem and solution. Then you identify one specific thing that would help move you forward. With that basic outline, you can quickly hit the highlights of your venture with any audience, any time, anywhere.
In the early stages, that might simply be getting a meeting with someone you’d like to work with. Or it might be a piece of equipment you need, or a collaborator with a technical skill you lack.
Where to Start Networking
Jones introduced students to the networking pyramid: At the top are the “Deciders,” the people with the power to say yes or no to your big ask. You don’t want to start with the Decider, because you’re likely to go in underschooled in what they want and waste the one chance you’ll get with them.
Instead, start at the bottom of the pyramid: the “Informers,” These people may have no decision making power, but they can tell you things you need to know about the potential partner. With that information, you can approach the Influencers, the people who can often pull strings to get you the answer you want from the Decider.
What to Say at that Cocktail Party
Okay, but first you’ve got to open the door. What do you say at that cocktail party?
Jones suggested walking into any networking event with a simple outline in mind:
1 Who you are
2 Three relevant things about you
3 Where you’d like to get to
When you enter the room, look for the one person who’s standing there by themselves — there’s almost always one. Approach them, smile, and use your three-part outline to introduce yourself.
After chatting for a while, a group may form around you. You can help the person you’re talking to by using the three-part outline to introduce your companion to the new arrivals. They’re likely to remember that you remembered all those things about them and took the opportunity to connect them with someone else.
LaunchLab and Beyond
After class, some of the students went downstairs and toured the WVU maker space, where they can fashion early prototypes of their ideas.
Whether law students end up launching new ventures or not, they’ve already expanded their network and their networking skills. Those skills will serve them in launching their law careers, and give them tools to innovate and implement new ideas throughout their careers.