Attendee Tips: Make the Most of the Opportunity

Take advantage of lunches, receptions and extended breaks to meet your colleagues and find common professional ground.

Every major gathering — including the Physician Leadership Summit — represents a great chance to build your professional network. Take advantage of lunches, receptions and extended breaks to meet your colleagues and find common professional ground. Because few of us are naturals at networking, these five tips can help you be effective at it.

Show up early: As an early arriver, you can engage one-on-one before things get crowded. It’s also OK to set a time limit for yourself.

Set a goal: If you’re an introvert, decide in advance to talk to a small-but-specific number of people. How you pick them is up to you.

Follow up: When you meet interesting people, remember to touch base with them after the event, whether by email or social media.

Ask questions: Listening to others, rather than having them listen to you, makes you seem more engaging — and less likely to hijack a conversation.

Smile: You’ll put others at ease. And, if you’re nervous in crowds, it’ll help soothe you, too.