Top tips for meeting people and making connections

MAINLY FOR STUDENTS Meeting people is easy, but establishing the right connections can take effort. Jess Harrold explains how, if you practise your networking skills now, you will be in a position to reap the rewards later. Networking – that’s tomorrow’s problem, right? University life is about study, exams… maybe a little social life. Putting yourself “out there” surely has to wait until after graduation. Wrong. You really can’t start too early when it comes to making connections and marketing yourself – and, while you are sat looking at your phone, your fellow students are stealing a march on you. Today’s classmates may be tomorrow’s rivals, and the time to start forging your career path is right now. Thankfully, your university will either organise or make you aware of events, talks and trips that will offer the chance to meet industry figures that could one day be important contacts. Property is a hugely social industry – it runs on breakfasts, lunches, dinners, seminars, awards ceremonies, ski-trips, triathlons and the networking fiesta that is MIPIM. Taking advantage of the opportunities that are available to you as a student will help you build the skills necessary for a life in real estate. A fundamental skill Networking is “fundamental” to career building, according to James Morris-Manuel, Matterport’s managing director and vice-president of EMEA, and one of EG’s 2018 Rising Stars. He recommends seeking out events built around panel discussions and keynote speeches in an area that interests you, where the room will be filled with potentially useful contacts. “You know what people say: surround yourself with people who are smarter than you,” he says. “One of the most important things for anyone’s career is that they continue to learn, and networking events are a great way to speak to like-minded individuals and learn from their experiences and stories.” Networking events also enable you to get access to people you would not usually be able to get in front of – senior figures who are very “time-poor”. He adds: “Chief executives who don’t have time to have a call with somebody one-on-one would have a five-minute conversation with you over a cup of tea at a networking event.” Knowledge and expertise This will help you build your market knowledge, which Morris-Manuel says is vital to display to potential employers: “When I hire people, I always look for people who come into the interview with a level of knowledge and expertise. When we take in grads or interns, I am interested to see: do they know the market that we trade within? Do they know who our competitors are? Do they know what some of the headlines were in the last four weeks relating to this space? I expect that level of knowledge. Even if they are still at university, if they want to be in the business world I need to know that they have a fundamental interest.” Making that first step – walking into a room of strangers, eager to make a good impression – can be daunting, particularly if you are a natural introvert. But it’s important to remember that everyone there has been in the same boat, at some point or other. And there are things you can do to make it a little less daunting. First, dress to impress – the industry still values a sense of style. As for the event itself, arrive early, as it’s easier to mingle when there are fewer people around. Do your research – find out who guests are, and be prepared with topics and questions about their jobs and their wider interests. Finding shared experiences outside the world of property can be a good way of standing out and making successful connections with people. If you see someone else on their own, approach them to talk. That will be easier at first, until you build your confidence in introducing yourself to a group. When it comes to talking about yourself, have answers for the basics ready in mind. If you are caught on the hop and left stumbling, you won’t present the message you are someone they need to know. According to Morris-Manuel, asking questions is the best way to have a conversation: “Even if you’re shy, as long as you can pluck up enough courage to ask the first question, that usually opens up the conversation.” Understand your personality Nicky Richmond, head of training at law firm Brecher, sets a global training programme for young lawyers on “soft skills” – including networking and self-marketing. She says: “What I always experience with a new set of trainees is: ‘Oh my god, I can’t go into a room’.” She says that you have to “understand your own personality” before you work out which sort of self-marketing is best for you, adding: “I always suggest that people take the Myers-Briggs test, which you can find online. It’s quite revealing.” It helps you work out your strengths and weaknesses, and look at how you interact with other people – which, Richmond says, her colleagues have found “very revealing and helpful”. She trains people to create their own marketing plan, which begins with identifying what they are trying to achieve: “What you are doing is creating your own personal brand, your own personality. You need to understand who you are and what you are selling.” When it comes to “working a room”, she suggests finding out as much as you can about who else is going to be there, and, if possible, going with a colleague or trying to find someone you already know who is there. She says: “What you are actually trying to do is to find out about the other person – the very worst thing you can do is to talk at somebody with a prepared script. You actually need to listen.” But if you put in the effort and practice required, networking can play a key part in getting you where you want to go – and Morris-Manuel looks forward to seeing you at an event. “I always want to help as many people as possible,” he says, explaining that young talented individuals coming in to the industry are often the most valuable employees to a business in their first three to six months of joining. “If you have employees who have been with you for five years,” he says, “they often will just continue to work in the way they have always worked. Whereas a new graduate coming in to the business starts to ask questions such as: ‘Why do you do it this way?’ That’s where you really see the innovation. As mature companies start to change with the tide of technology, they are going to need younger, innovative people that can help them navigate the uncertainty.” It could be you.   Tips from the rising stars We asked more of EG’s 2018 crop of Rising Stars for their advice on successful networking and making yourself stand out from the crowd. Kimberly Hepburn, quantity surveyor, Transport for London More give and less take. Keep the mantra “how can I help them” at the forefront of your mind, instead of the concept of “selling yourself” and randomly handing out business cards. Have a plan, no expectations and be genuine. Know who you want to connect with and then use a “planting”, not “hunting”, approach. Networking is all about building long-term relationships; it’s not a quick-fire attempt to fix an immediate problem. Like any relationship, it takes time, authenticity and nurturing. Building internal and external networks is vitally important. I have lost count how many game-changers that have told me the importance of getting on with people – it’s a critical skill to have if you want to make a difference. Networking is the best way to learn how. It also makes your professional life far more easier – and fun! Cal Lee, global head, WorkThere A positive energy is good, which is as easy as a smile and can make you seem much more approachable. Don’t forget most people are in the same boat as you. Don’t be afraid to approach them and ask an easy open question, maybe “Why are you interested in this event?” Make sure you listen to their answer as well! Ditch the sales pitch. It doesn’t have to be about work, networking is about creating longer-term relationships, don’t feel pressured to get something out of that conversation immediately. Be yourself, let the relationship grow over time. People are more likely to work with you if they like you. Jack Sibley, innovation and technology strategist, TH Real Estate Say “yes” to as much as possible. You never know where it will lead. Be an independent thinker – find an original way to express or challenge hot-button topics in the industry. Try to end interactions with an action point or follow-up. To send feedback, e-mail jess.harrold@egi.co.uk or tweet @estatesgazette Mainly for Students is edited by Paul Collins, a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University. He welcomes suggestions for the column and can be contacted at paul.collins@ntu.ac.uk