How to meet people
In a recent post, we covered why networking is an important thing for indie devs to do. However, meeting new people can be a little daunting. Here are some tips to help break the ice, and to make a good impression.
Everyone is in the same boat
There are lots of networking events held every month for the sole reason for people to make new contacts and industry friends. It may feel odd to introduce yourself to random people, but keep in mind that is why everyone is there in the first place.
Remember names
They say that no sound is as sweet to a person as their own name. People’s names are important and you should try hard to remember them. Repeatedly forgetting someone’s name suggests that you don’t think them worth the effort to commit it to memory. On the other hand, using a person’s name frequently (although dont go overboard) shows a certain level of care and attention to that person. It can also help make sure that you remember it!
Have a good handshake
This may seem like a small point, but a lot of people judge a great deal on a person’s handshake. You can find a lot of tips with more detail on this subject with a quick Google search, but simply maintain eye contact, have a firm grip and shake three times.
Get there early
It can be daunting walking into a filled room with lots of people already in conversation. While it may look like they all know each other well chances are they only just met, so don’t worry if you can’t get there early. If you can get there early, however, you can avoid having to break in to a group. It’s much easier to strike up a conversation at this early point, and chances are that this person may introduce you to others as the evening goes on or, even better, you can introduce them to someone else (achievement unlocked – master networker)!
Don’t hog people
One cardinal sin of networking events is to get clingy with people. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with talking to a single person for the whole night, but make sure you aren’t holding them against their will!
Stay in contact
Business cards are great for this. While meeting people in person will make more of an impact than digital equivalents, make sure to follow up your meeting with a friendly email. “It was great to meet you at [event], let me know if I can help with that [thing you talked about] etc.”
Summary
So there you have it. Some quick and easy tips to help you meet people. Of course, this is all secondary to being a genuinely nice person, so make sure you don’t act like a sleazy salesman trying to get as many business cards as humanly possible. Any questions at all, just give us a shout!