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325: 10+ Conference Networking Strategies with Alisa Cohn

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Attending conferences can be overwhelming — even for the most excited extroverts among us—let alone the introverts who challenge their comfort zone in the registration process alone.

Today, my friend Alisa and I do an in-person debrief of our recent week-long adventure at the TED global conference in Vancouver (my second time attending, her fifth). We cover conversation openers, the power of a genuine compliment, trying (and sometimes failing) to approach people we admire as a peer, handling the inevitable FOMO and big feelings that arise, when to call it quits (what I call “falling off the cliff”), and so much more.

Be sure to also keep an eye out on the Free Time podcast (even better, subscribe!) for Friday’s episode #196, where I share a mini daily audio diary that I kept on each day of the conference, with some additional reflections at the end.

More About Alisa: Alisa Cohn has been coaching startup founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, and hosts a podcast of the same name. A onetime startup CFO, strategy consultant, and current angel investor and advisor, she has worked with startup companies such as Venmo, Etsy, and more.

🌟 10 Key Takeaways

  1. Approaches: Have a repertoire of openers to help you start a conversation; the art of the sincere compliment.

  2. 🦚 Talk piece clothing: Wear something unique that people can comment on

  3. Chatting as a peer vs. the inevitable fangirling (stanning) that occurs sometimes anyway, despite best efforts.

  4. Sit in a central place (ie lobby) to catch passers-by: Even better, sit with others to expand your reach in terms of who you know.

  5. Message people right after you meet them: Make a note or joke about something you spoke about (to remember later and reinforce your name/photo). JB sends emoji and tries to make it funny and/or specific, or send resources based on their interests (book, article, etc).

  6. Texting a “wish you were here!” selfie to mutual friends as a way to keep in loose touch.

  7. How to deal with “feelings;” the inevitable ups and downs of your mood in large groups.

  8. Give yourself permission to recharge. Embrace JOMO when you need a break, knowing when you thrive.

  9. When to call it: If you’re experiencing New Friend Fatigue, head home.

  10. Follow-up with conference connections after you return home: Prioritize outreach, even inviting people to a small group reunion event or dinner (no more than six people).

✅ Try This Next: Alisa: Go and meet one new person—strike up a conversation with someone you wouldn’t normally speak to and see what happens. Jenny: Put yourself in the path of people. Is there an event, a book reading, even a bench in the park where you can encounter people you normally wouldn’t?

🔗 Resources Mentioned

📚 Books Mentioned

🎧 Related Episodes

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