Shedding the light on the black box of networking communication

We know a great deal about how to network at meetings, corporate events, and conferences; at least there is much popular psychology and self-help about managing these sorts of encounters. We are advised to ask particular questions, make ‘small talk’, and build rapport quickly with new colleagues. However, we actually know very little about how people actually ‘network’, when it comes to the real practices that comprise initial encounters.

In the seminar at World of Learning Exhibition, Prof. Elizabeth Stokoe - world leading expert in her field - presented findings from observational research commissioned by Imago Venues. Using a method called ‘conversation analysis’, she showed what works and what is less effective in 'real world' networking situations. The seminar also discussed the implications of the research analysis for those organising events as well as those attending them.

The full research paper is available to download and includes top tips for people to be better at networking.