Business English: How to Network Successfully

Hey welcome back to engVid. Today we're going to be looking at the crucial skill of networking.

Networking is so important for your social life and for your business life because if we're not

meeting new people then we're basically stagnant and we're not going to experience new things.

So we always want to be looking at meeting new people. Obviously we have to keep our

existing friendships and existing business going but it's good to meet new people.

So what we're going to be doing in this lesson is some different techniques for

approaching and talking to someone you don't know which can be quite scary and some phrases

that might help you to do that as well. So I hope there's something here for you.

Now you've probably all experienced that fear moment where you're like I should probably go

and speak to that person or someone here but I don't really know how to do that.

You know it's a scary moment so what we need to do when we are entering a room that we don't

know anyone say it's a networking event or a party less formal opportunity to meet people

but an opportunity nonetheless. What you need to do is to take in the room and what I mean by that

is have a sort of a bird's eye view like of everyone there who is going to be best to approach

and you might think of them as being on their own in twos or in threes or maybe even in a larger

group. Now if you go and speak to someone on their own you might have a nice conversation

but then you're only meeting one person and how are you going to sort of end that conversation

and move on to the next person. You might get stuck with that person for a long time especially

if you don't know anyone there and then you're like who do I go and speak to next. So

you know it's an option but it's better to be going and approaching a larger group because

there are more opportunities you know you can meet more people that way obviously.

It's important that you notice the body language. Yeah if there are two or three people speaking

if they're all kind of closed in like this then they don't you can tell that they don't want

anyone else to come in but if they're you know there's some open space and it shows that they're

unconsciously subconsciously more available for a conversation with an outsider.

So notice the body language. Does it look like they want to talk to anyone

and also see how comfortable they are in their existing group. Are they two strangers

who are finding each other's presence awkward and uncomfortable in which case they want to move

in which case that's not a good group for you to join because they're about to change

like are they enjoying each other's company is it a good moment to go and join.

You can also use the room as a prop. What I mean by that is you know notice what is where

you know there are some drinks over there you can go over and pour yourself a coffee or something

else. Use the things that you can do in the space as opportunities to bump into people

accidentally and start conversations. Ah the food's over here and then you notice someone's

just speaking. Ah it looks really nice this cake doesn't it yum yum yum yum yum yeah delicious

cake. So how do you know such and such a person. How come you're here today who you know you're

just always starting these conversations. One of my best friends that I met quite accidentally

was he was trying to sell his motorbike in Barcelona and you know it was

happened to meet this guy and it's about keeping that sort of friendship going so you take like

something small and you find out that you you know you have a good rapport and you develop

into a friendship. Next thing I knew he was turning up for Christmas with his family.

Um right so we have this rather intimidating situation of having to go up to the group.

We've decided that it's better to be approaching a group of three. They look from their body

language like they're not just wanting to speak on their own. So what do we do? Well you could

just walk up and say um sorry I'm uh hi sorry I'm now this is quite a sort of English approach.

You're kind of apologizing that you're being so forward to go and talk to those people.

You're introducing your name you know hi I'm such and such okay but you've got to keep that going.

Don't just say hi I'm yeah find out about them. Who are they? How do they know you know work it

all out. Be interested in them. It's not about you it's you understanding who they are. Be

interested. Don't try and be interesting. Um okay so some things that you could talk about.

Obviously it's going to change from uh whatever the event is but one approach is to sort of

make observations. What can you see? What can you comment on? Um fantastic party isn't it? Well

what a great event this is. I thought um such and such was an amazing speaker. Um did you come

to listen to that person? Um if you're talking about kind of a birthday that's been laid out

lots of choice isn't there? Wonderful food today. Um but just try and keep a comment you know if

you notice that the conversation dies then you need to change it and talk about something else.

Um you might ask them about um their their plans with this event. Like um I'm thinking of a party

that I went to in Barcelona where it started in uh in this apartment and then it went on to um

to uh a music venue. So you if I was in that situation I could have asked them so are you

going on to to listen to the music later? Um and then in that situation you know we're in a foreign

country. Have you been living here long? How do you know? I've said that question quite a few times but

you know it's about finding the links. Trying to find the similarities. What you have in common.

Do you have friends in common? Do you know the same people? Um do you do a similar job to that

person? The more common ground you can find the more likely it is that you're going to have

an enjoyable conversation. Um we want to be looking to say things like oh yeah yeah I know

what you mean. Yeah because that shows that we're on the same sort of we're on the same vibe.

Yeah yeah us too yeah yeah showing that there are similarities. Hoping you're getting something from

this lesson and if so I'd appreciate it if you could do something for me. You all know about

that red button the subscribe but the share one is equally important. So a lot of work goes into

these videos and I only choose phrases that I think are going to be super useful for you guys.

So if you could just do that small action of trying to grow this channel I'd really appreciate

it. Okay so we're thinking about um social and business opportunities and getting in and

networking and um you know approaching a group. Getting that conversation going. Um

it's really nice if you can actually introduce other people and make social connections for

other people. Oh you know what um it'd be a really good idea if you spoke to my friend

or I think you'd really get on well with such and such a person. Let me introduce you.

Oh Paul come over here. Yeah Sheila would be she does exactly the same thing for you. You

you must Tracy you must meet Tom. Come over here. Come over here. Tom Tom this is Tracy. Tracy

Tom. Yeah introduce people. Get get the ball going. Um now if you're suggesting to

stay in contact with someone um you might want to start with uh let's stay in contact.

Yeah it'd be great let's stay in contact. You want to swap numbers?

I've written it how how it's said. Do you? Yeah obviously it's spelt do you. Do you want to stay

in contact? Do you want to swap numbers? How do I find you then? That does not mean that I'm going

to be um trying to find them on the metro. Where are you? No no no no this is like where do I find

you in the world of social media? Yeah are you on Instagram? Facebook? Um be good to see you again.

Yeah we should. Proposal. What are you going to do? I don't know go rollerblading or uh maybe

if it's more business we should do a business lunch sometime. We should do I don't know

whatever's appropriate for you. Yeah that would be great. Let's have some positivity.

Um if you do want to see that person again. If you don't then you just say something nice and

you don't mean it. Yeah yeah that'd be great. Right um if you feel that the conversation has

gone on for a little bit too long and you want to say adios um you can say like well it's been

really nice to meet you. Um and then if you have to go quite urgently then this is the formal phrase.

Sorry do excuse me I've just got to go and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Okay so that's

formal or slightly less formal. I'm so sorry I'm going to have to go and speak to such and such a

person or I'm going to have to go and move the car it's about to get a ticket. Golden rules.

Put the focus out of your head over to them. Who are they? Get to know them. Yeah find out about them.

Listen. I don't just mean listen to the words. I mean listen absorb the body language as well.

Are they in a hurry? Do they need to go and do something? Are they actually trying to talk to

this person over here? Okay. Well all I can say is go out there try this stuff and let me know how

you get on. Yeah let's have some comments. Let's have a really lively discussion about this.

If you do want any other help with your English I've got a new website,

honeyourenglish.com, and I provide tuition via Skype for people speaking spoken English

and written English. If you do need any extra help that's where to go. Until the next time

have fun get out there go go go go