Getting Selected – Network & Be Authentic at Conference
With Party Conference season upon us, candidates and wannabe candidates are, or should be, getting their hair cut, polishing their shoes and choosing which fringe events to attend. What they do this year and over the next 12 months could change their lives forever. They’re preparing to network for their political future.
Getting Selected – good networking
If you’re networking, you need to have a few things at the ready. You are always prepared to do this in your day job – but are you equipped to network politically too?
You need your personal or political elevator pitch or stories. Then you need your intelligent, research-based questions in case you do end up being stuck next to the Chairman of your dream constituency. A decent website is essential – so they can remember who you are the next day and do some research on you. For them to remember this you also need your political business card.
Too often we forget that to be good at communication, half the battle is actually listening and asking good questions and preparation. The same is true in politics.
It is important to be and sound authentic and to listen and talk in the right ratio.
Some anxious wannabe’s try and maximise their time at conference – thinking it’s a number game – how many business cards can I get today? They jump anxiously from one target, um – I mean person obviously, to the next, nodding jerkily but not actually listening. This rubbish approach makes their current “networking partner” feel seriously un-special.
Many glance furtively at your conference pass to see if you are important and worth their time. This may be sneaky – but it NEVER goes unnoticed! Just like looking over people’s shoulders at the next target. Bad, bad, bad. Plus – everyone knows everyone in the Conservative Party – be nice, be friendly and you may gain a supporting or deciding voice.
Being authentic, having those questions ready to help you dig and actually giving a damn is key to your networking success, whether that be at Conservative Party conference, or a business seminar.