Marketing Yourself at Conferences

I'm at a conference this week, and I'm struck by the lack of networking I see.  I once heard an emeritus faculty/faculty ombudsperson talk about how introverted faculty tend to be, despite having jobs where they are teaching and working with other people.

This strikes me as a great opportunity for researchers to use this to their advantage by focusing on networking and marketing themselves at conferences. Whether or not you are an introvert, you can use the following small steps to better market yourself and build valuable relationships and networks.

• Identify who you want to meet at the conference (this might be a program officer or someone you're hoping to work with eventually) and attend their presentations.
• Familiarize yourself with the research of the people with whom you want to connect.
• Prepare an elevator pitch that is just a couple of lines, and find a way to incorporate something intriguing or even a joke to catch the interest and spur a conversation with those you want to network.
• Ask questions about others' research and draw connections to your own work. You're hoping that they will engage in the conversation about the intersections of your work.
• Remember to introduce yourself each time you speak at a conference, whether you're presenting or asking a question during a session.
• Take new connections for coffee or a drink.
• Follow-up with connections quickly after the conference.  A follow-up email, thanking them for their time and proposing a collaboration (if it's appropriate), can keep you top of mind and strengthen the connection.

Resources:

How do I market myself at conferences? - American Psychological Association

How to network at a conference - wikiHow