From awkward small talk to lasting connections: Networking at company events

Planning

Apr 5

Planning

From awkward small talk to lasting connections: Networking at company events

Sara Iannacone · 4/5/2023

People seated at tables at a corporate networking event

No matter where you’re at in your career, striking up new relationships and maintaining current ones is key. But how does one do that effectively without awkward small talk at offsites and events? Today, we’re sharing offsite networking strategies and ideas that will help.

There are two types of people in this world—those who can’t wait to jump into a room of people and chat it up, and those who would rather be working behind their screen, watching Netflix in the background. While most professionals understand the importance of networking, not everyone gets lit up about creating connections with colleagues and customers at networking events.

But whether you like it or not, it’s key to growth in many ways. A Harvard Business Review study found that 95% of people think face-to-face meetings are critical for relationship building, and 89% think that it’s key to closing business deals.

That’s why exploring the benefits of networking as well as networking strategies is so important. It is the key to making company events like retreats, offsites, client summits more comfortable, enjoyable, and effective for growing your career!

So, today we’re going to help. After producing plenty of offsite networking and team-building events, we know a thing or two about effective networking and how to network at company events. We’re spilling all the tea on how exactly you can make meaningful connections through networking at all kinds of business offsites with your team, your company, your industry peers, and your customers so that you can get ahead while building strong relationships.

Networking at events within your organization

As humans, we are wired for connection. This is as true in our personal lives as it is in our professional lives. When we build strong networks within our organization, we are better able to communicate, collaborate, and innovate. Our teams become more cohesive, our work becomes more efficient, and our outcomes become more impactful.

And these aren’t just fluffy concepts or theories. It’s proven.

Harvard Business Review found that high belonging created a 56% increase in job performance, decreased turnover risk by 50%, and reduced sick time by 75%. Belonging is good for business and for the soul.

So, how do you make it happen at every level of the organization?

Networking within your team

The best place to start is within your own team. You want your team to feel free to converse, share ideas, and take risks without fear of judgment.

So, when planning an event for your own team to facilitate these relationships, start with icebreakers!

Our Template Library offers simple icebreakers that will allow your team to laugh, generate energy, and get to know one another on professional and personal levels.

Let’s talk through what your goals should be when selecting an icebreaker or activity.

Focus on getting participation from every team member—even the shiest members—so make your activities simple and comfortable in the beginning and go deeper as days go on during the event.
You want people to create a personal connection, not just a professional one. While still being respectful and appropriate, ask personal questions that will allow people to feel camaraderie and bond over similar likes, dislikes, backgrounds, etc.
Don’t make your activities stressful! You want everyone to be able to relax and have fun, not feel pressured or uncomfortable.

Starting your offsite with these types of activities will allow people to start off on the right foot and then bring the conversations started into the fun offsite activities throughout the week, like excursions, coworking sessions, and dinner events.

You can also use these to create connections between teams as well, which leads to the next area of networking at offsites and retreats!

Networking with other teams

Networking doesn't stop at your department's door (literally or figuratively). When we cultivate relationships with colleagues outside of our team, we create new channels for ideas, opportunities, and growth. These new connections challenge our assumptions, broaden our perspectives, and ultimately make us better employees and leaders!

So, beyond the team building and icebreaker activities, what can you do at company events to create connections that last?

One idea is to implement an organization-wide theme for a retreat where all are welcome to bridge the gap between teams. You want a theme to:

Align with strategic company goals
Help cultivate a positive company culture
Inspire change, innovation, thought leadership, and growth

Depending on the goal of your corporate networking events, customize your theme accordingly and use that to put together an agenda that sparks conversations between teams, cross-team friendly competition, etc.

Another way to “theme” your networking offsites is to mix and match groups to participate in certain events. You could do things like:

Management team summits
Women in leadership offsites
Support team onsites
Sales and marketing getaways
New hire retreats

Explore different connections by chain of command, job function, or essential cross-team connections when planning a networking retreat or offsite event. Unique combinations could unlock valuable insights and connections.

Networking at events with customers and clients

Networking with customers and clients can be a tough nut to crack. You want to strike that balance between building a relationship with them and not coming off too strong or awkward. There are a few keys to think about when at a networking offsite with a client:

Be an active listener and respond thoughtfully to their questions and thoughts
Ask about personal interests, not just business. This will help you find common ground
Be confident in what you are saying, and don't be afraid to showcase your expertise.

Remember, networking isn't just about making sales, it's about building lasting relationships. So take a deep breath, put on that friendly smile, and let the conversation flow! When you do this, it’ll inevitably, eventually, lead to business success. How do we know this? Data shows that in-person business deals are 34x more effective than those handled via email.

So, start planning more effective offsites that celebrate, honor, and excite your customers and clients to set up more of these conversations for your team. Here’s how!

Networking at events with industry colleagues

It might seem counterintuitive to network with the “competition,” but in reality, your competition is individuals who have the same interests, desires, challenges, and aspirations as you. Can’t you see how creating connections there would be beneficial to your career and life?

Here are a few networking ideas you can implement between partners, industry peers, etc.:

Join forces with a partner organization and sponsor a fun networking offsite event where both teams can gather and bond in a new environment over an activity that hasn’t been done before. These can be done regionally, so create an SOP to re-create it in different areas seamlessly.
Contrary to popular belief, networking with competitors is key. But how can you do it in a way that is positive? Consider hosting a volunteer day where you give back with a social impact activity that targets your niche. Then, after the event, host a dinner event with entertainment that allows for social networking between peers. You never know when friendly competition can support growth!
Create an offsite lunch and learn-type opportunity but with a full-day agenda. Pair industry speakers with unique mixers, icebreakers, and fun adventures that will spark cross-organization connections!

To get away from awkward small talk at these types of events, you can provide questions to spark meaningful conversations like:

What are your thoughts on [recent tech innovation, a mutual supplier, etc.]?
I recently saw your team [x,y,z achievement]. Congrats! What was that like?
What professional organizations would you recommend/ are you a member of?

Learning leads to connection, and sharing doesn’t have to mean letting go of proprietary information. You never know when these contacts could lead to a mutually beneficial deal, opportunity, or client connection!

Supporting those in your industry is highly undervalued!