Went to a coffee shop networking event and nobody actually talked to each other

I hit up that new spot in Corktown called Founders Ground last Tuesday for their weekly networking hour. There were like 40 people there all holding business cards and staring at their phones. I counted 12 different handshakes in 45 minutes but they were all just surface level stuff. One guy literally handed me his card mid sentence and walked away before I could say my name. The whole thing felt like a speed dating event for LinkedIn profiles with zero follow through. I stood by the pastry case for 20 minutes just watching people miss real opportunities. Has anyone else noticed these structured networking things feel more like a performance than actual relationship building?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarahpatel1d ago

...mid sentence and walked away before you could even say your name? That is just plain rude. I mean I get that networking can be awkward but that's a whole new level of bad manners. What exactly is the point of going to an event like that if you're not going to actually talk to people? You might as well save the gas money and just mail your business card to a trash can. I'm shocked that anyone would think that behavior is acceptable or effective.

maryh961d ago

You've got to have a quick response ready for people like that. I always keep a polite but firm line in my back pocket, like "Oh, looks like you're in a hurry, I'll catch you later then." It lets you save face and gives them an out if they're just awkward, but it also calls them on their behavior. Most of the time that kind of rudeness comes from nerves, not malice, but that doesn't mean you have to stand there and take it. Best thing is to just chalk it up to their loss and move on to someone who actually wants to talk.