Today
we publish the final in a series of five articles aimed at budding candidates from Heather White, the
professional relationship expert and networker extraordinaire who
founded Smarter Networking
(whose website also includes more free networking advice).
> Last week: Gaining the upper hand on rival candidates
This is the final instalment in my series regarding successful networking for new approved candidates, and considers how you can make the most of the party conference as a successful networking opportunity.
Everyone knows that this Conference season is the most important, given the looming General Election. It is also likely that you are fairly confident about going as you have more than likely been before. However, if you just generally wing it and hang out with your usual crowd, then perhaps this year is the time to actually get a decent plan in place to make sure you network like crazy and make the most of your time.
If you actually stop to think about how many people - and organisations - are planning to be at Conference this year, it could be a bit overwhelming. A successful Conference is not about meeting as many people as possible but meeting as many of the right people AND making a good impression.
Why are you actually at Conference and who do you want to meet? Is this a chance to improve your contacts, recruit supporters or raise money? And who are the individuals that you need to reach? Could any of your existing contacts help or is there an organisation that may help create an introduction? As a candidate, is there an issue you really want to be raising with someone or a key journalist you want to meet?
The first thing to do now is to prepare a list of all those people that you already know. Make contact with them and arrange a coffee, lunch or drink in the bar. Is there anything you can do to help them, do they have a fringe event you could help support? Think about what they are doing now, have they moved jobs recently? Are they connected to other people who may be good for you to meet?
Do you need pictures with key party members for campaign materials or do you really want to speak to a major donor who could help boost your campaign coffers? Is there someone in your list who may be able to make it happen? Or do they know someone who could help? Or perhaps you do not know anyone relevant to get to your target so you are going to have to work out a route on without any assistance at all.
If you are going it alone, when and where will you meet these people? Look thoroughly through the Conference handbook and plan a diary of key fringe events or speeches to attend. If you really want to meet George Osborne, it would be helpful if you’d bothered to hear his Conference speech, for example, as a way to start a conversation. Or perhaps Eric Pickles might have time during the Conservatives Pub Quiz he’s hosting.
Time will be limited at this Conference, more than ever before; you have to ensure you have planned exactly what you want to say and what you want to ask. Making the right impression is one thing, but having a useful, engaging conversation should be the end-game – work on it and prepare.
Ask around and be proactive. Speak to other experienced Conference attendees and ask their advice. Some may tell you that some initially attractive events are not really quite what you expect and may suggest a very different opportunity altogether. Sometimes, opportunities arise from the most unlikely sources – often it isn’t the big budget parties that are conducive to networking, but the smaller intimate bashes that you only find out about via word-of-mouth.
Membership of some of the organisations associated with a political party instantly aligns you with similarly-minded people or gets you access to more exclusive events. Make sure you sign up for things now and that you have RSVP’d for anything that requires one. My first piece covered developing and executing a networking strategy, and it could be the most valuable preparation ahead of the party conference this year.
OK, so you’ve planned your approach but what are you actually going to say? You may be on the candidates' list or be a selected PPC, but is there a chance that people will run a mile thinking that you are going to be asking for something? Do you really have an idea of how you come across to other people? Have you thought about conversation areas and how you describe what you do and what you are interested in?
You may get in front of the richest Tory supporter, but what if you know you have opposing views to them on an issue? You cannot pretend to hold views or beliefs in the highly charged world of politics if you cannot back up your argument. Therefore if you hold what may be considered controversial views on an issue or they do, is it better to just avoid talking about that subject or to stick to your guns and be prepared to slug it out should they oppose you.
When you do meet people it is generally assumed that you have got two minutes to make a good first impression with a contact and then if you do a good job, you have another two minutes at best. For further information on this, the second installment in this five-piece series covered ‘Making a good impression with the people that matter’.
There are three things to look out for to see if you are making a good impression when in conversation: body language, conversation and agreement. This is all covered in that second post. It’s not a scary task as it is often described, rather one of two people co-operating out of mutual benefit. We’re all there for the same reason; to meet new people and to understand and gain insight from those in attendance. Prove your usefulness and you’ll have no problems in making the right contacts.
Do not, under any circumstances, dismiss people of whom you may not already be aware. This conference season, probably more than any other in history, will be full of prospective MPs who could well be a colleague or contact after next year’s election. These PPCs will be like you – keen to impress, keen to meet new people and ready to throw themselves into a life of politics. Therefore it is important you are aware of getting details of younger flunkies around PPCs as these could be the gatekeepers of the future – the people further down the rung are tomorrow’s leaders and key advisers.
This is the year that planning and preparation really matter for any conference attendee, let alone a Conservative PPC – this year it is strictly business, and viewing this as an opportunity to network and meet the right people is far wiser than viewing it as a ‘jolly’. It also means being on your guard. As a future holder of high office, you will be watched at all times. Journalists may be keen to pick up flippant remarks or criticisms of the Party, or even just look for those PPCs ‘letting their hair down’. All that hard work could go to waste with a careless word.
While it is obvious, following up with contacts is often forgotten. The small things someone said to you in conversation can really make an email stand out post-Conference. It shows you took the time to listen, despite all the distractions around. Handwritten notes are done less these days but often generate a better response rate as the recipient is often impressed by the effort put in and you will certainly end up streets ahead than after tapping out an email. Senior business executives often remark that a handwritten note is a real mark of distinction – those senior execs could be the same ones with the deep pockets your campaign needs! Whatever your approach, be genuine and try to enjoy it. After all, the contacts made at this Conference, could be needed for a very long time.