Pocket Full of Stories for Networking
Having a pocket full of stories can boost our confidence and increase our fun at networking events. Most of us, when walking into a crowded room, have a bit of trepidation. We want to be there to meet interesting people, yet we may not be sure who to approach or what to say. This is where a pocket full of stories is handy. Spending just a bit of time in advance formulating a few stories we feel comfortable sharing can put us at ease.
We can tell stories from our own experience or from something we’ve recently heard or read. Here are three steps for creating a pocket full of stories:
- Brainstorm and pick 2-3 topics of relevance to people at the networking event.
- Develop a story using information you already know about each topic.
- Practice telling the stories out loud a few times until you feel confident.
The stories we develop typically can be used again at different times with different people, giving us a pocket full of stories for networking.
Let’s walk through an example to bring this idea to life.
I recently went to the Sustainable Change Alliance (SCA) event on Investing in Climate Solutions. The people attending were other SCA members and guest who were all interested in investing as well as some aspect of climate solutions.
Given attendees’ interests, topics of relevance that are also of interest to me include the central role of water in the climate crisis and follow up rounds of funding for early-stage companies. Here are two possible stories I could share at this event.
Water and Climate
I find it inspiring just how many entrepreneurs are approaching the global water crisis from so many angles. I recently met the founder of Divirod, a start up in Colorado that provides real-time water data on a global scale using sensor technology. Interestingly, the founder came from the space industry and their solution leverages technology from that industry. That makes it reasonable to capture data from across the globe and use that massive data lake to understand and manage water issues locally. It was fun for me to learn about another company being part of the grand solution. What companies in this space have impressed you lately?
Climate Solution Providers Raising Capital
As a communication coach, I am often brought in to help executive teams polish their pitches for fundraising. I see it can be challenging to raise follow-on rounds, particularly for more capital-intensive climate solutions. Lately I have been noticing a significant effort on the part of early investors to help companies raise additional capital. What have you seen as success factors for climate companies raising subsequent rounds of capital?
You may notice that these story examples also include questions. These questions pull others into our stories and foster interactive engagement, which is the reason we network.
The more stories we develop over time, the fuller our pockets become and the easier it is to have something interesting to say at events, increasing our enjoyment of networking.