Am I the only one tired of people showing up to networking events with no real goal? | Houston Networking - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Am I the only one tired of people showing up to networking events with no real goal?
I went to a Houston tech meetup last Thursday and it was the same thing again. Like six people just walked around handing out business cards to anyone who made eye contact. I asked one guy what he was looking for and he said 'just seeing what happens lol.' That is not how you build real connections man. If you don't know who you want to talk to or what you offer, you're just wasting everyone's time. I've been going to these things for about 8 months now and the best meetings I had were when I picked a specific type of person to find. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?
Blowing up your own brand at a meetup shows confidence, not desperation. Walking backwards while handing out cards is a clever way to get attention when everyone is just standing around. Honestly, if the guy was polite about it, that kind of hustle is better than having no plan at all.
Remember that weirdo at a tech conference in Austin who kept trying to high five people while talking about blockchain? Totally different vibe but same level of awkward confidence. Works sometimes though I guess, depending on the crowd.