One of your goals when attending conferences is meeting and connecting with other attendees.
Building relationships starts with a conversation. Many of my clients are not entirely comfortable striking up conversations with strangers. I am often asked, “What do I say?” I work with clients to create conversations based on the Three Ws.
1st: Where are you? Think about where you are physically.
2nd; What do you have in common with the person? What do you share with this stranger?
3rd: What do you say? The first two W’s will help you with what to say.
Here’s an example:
You are attending a conference out of state, and you are at a meet-and-greet event.
1st: Where are you? 1. At the Conference, in a new setting (hotel, state, city), 2. At an event (dinner, lunch, cocktail hour, or session).
2nd: What do you have in common? 1. The conference, 2. Everyone travels to the event; 3. You all have a job related to the industry; 4. You are all enjoying food and drink.
3rd: What do you say? 1. “What sessions have you attended?” 2. “Where are you from?” 3. “What company are you with/what do you do?” 4. “Have you attended this conference in the past?” 5. “They have some food; have you tried anything yet?”
Remember, the intent is more important than the content when creating a conversation with a stranger. It’s more important that you start a conversation. We need to start conversations with basic questions that anyone can answer.
