Try this amazingly effective networking “hack”

After a long hiatus, many of us are heading to in-person and networking events: conferences, meetups, coffee dates, seminars, etc.

Truth be told, it’s hard to make new connections at these events. People hang around with people that they already know. Sometimes, you feel like someone standing in the cold while everyone is happy inside.

There’s a simple hack to solve the network problem: ask someone their name.

When you do that, people’s defences come down. It’s a small gesture but it erodes the wall between you and them. Rather than being strangers, there’s a connection.

It’s advice that I’ve continually given my children as I anxiously encourage them to make as many friends as possible.

We live in a hurly-burly world. Everyone’s moving so fast. They’re looking at their phones and not really paying attention. But when ask someone their name, the dynamics of networking change.

Try it and see what happens.