Kristin Marquet is the founder and creative director of Creative Development Agency, a PR firm in New York City. Follow her @KristinMarquet
Recently, YEC spoke with Marquet about her experiences networking and her advice for others aspiring to improve their own experience. Her best advice is below.
Use Your Existing Network to Build Your Base of Contacts
Cultivate those relationships and focus on building a mutually beneficial relationship. As an entrepreneur, I’ve found the best events to build solid business connections include:
- She Leads Conference — New York City (for female entrepreneurs)
- Social Media Marketing World 2018 — San Diego, California
- TechCrunch Disrupt — New York City
Be as Personable as Possible
Any great networker must be personable. A personable person actually listens to what another person is saying. Be friendly and take a genuine interest in what someone says. Ask questions and make an authentic connection.
About five years ago, I met a best-selling author at a networking event. We had a short conversation, then she hired my PR firm to represent her for the launch of her next book. Her campaign did extremely well, so over the last five years, she has sent us a lot of referral business, which accounts for about 7 percent of annual revenue.
Stay Organized
I like to use Google spreadsheets for all my contacts. I create columns notating where I met the person, the date and the conversation we had. It’s a great tracking device. Plus, I can access it anywhere.
Build Relationships Over Time
The biggest networking faux pas I see so many people make is trying to pitch and sell every person that they meet from the first point of contact. Building a relationship first will go much further than trying to pitch and sell someone right out of the gate.
