According to Phil Mershon, the solution may involve having dedicated networking ambassadors. Phil Mershon, the author of “Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences” and Director of Experience for Social Media Examiner, believes that networking ambassadors play a pivotal role in enhancing the networking experience. He has been instrumental in transforming Social Media Examiner’s flagship event, Social Media Marketing World, into a closely-knit community.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
This annual event, held in San Diego since 2013, features an active team of networking ambassadors. The concept was initially conceived with the guidance of an experienced networker, Mike Ambassador Bruny, who led the team during its first year and trained subsequent ambassadors. Since then, networking ambassadors have been a consistent part of the event team, with volunteers trained by Mershon. In the most recent event in March, a team of seven networking ambassadors assisted nearly 2,000 attendees in making meaningful connections. Mershon explained that the goal is to create a culture where people feel approachable and open to conversation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So, what exactly does a networking ambassador do? Mershon acknowledges that it’s challenging to pinpoint the exact qualities that make a good networking ambassador. Their primary responsibility is to initiate conversations and encourage others to do the same. Authenticity is key, but it’s also beneficial when ambassadors naturally excel at connecting with people. The role largely relies on intuition and social awareness to read situations accurately. Ambassadors aim to start conversations, facilitate comfort among participants, and then transition these connections seamlessly..<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While some individuals excel at making numerous connections efficiently, it’s not solely about quantity. Most connections are one-on-one, emphasizing the importance of quickly understanding how to assist each individual. Sometimes, their role may involve serving as a roaming helpdesk, while other times, they may need to fulfill more complex requests, such as locating specific attendees or those who fit certain profiles within the crowd. Effective follow-up is also crucial, either during the event or afterward, to ensure that people feel valued and cared for.\r\nMershon emphasizes that networking ambassadors have a swift and substantial impact on the event’s culture. Their presence creates a sense of safety and belonging among participants, fostering a positive atmosphere. Over the years, Mershon has refined his approach to selecting volunteers for this role, prioritizing those with a knack for connections who can operate independently.\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
During the event, networking ambassadors wear distinctive shirts on the first day for easy identification, but for the rest of the event, they blend in with the other attendees, working incognito. Their role shifts from being visible information points to covert facilitators of human connections.\r\nWhile Mershon is open to incorporating technology, such as AI, for collecting and organizing attendee data, he firmly believes in the synergy of human and tech-based solutions. He intends to invest in further training to continually improve outcomes and explore strategies like table talks and meetups to bring larger groups of people together.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In summary, networking ambassadors play a vital role in enhancing the networking experience at business events by fostering connections and creating a welcoming environment. Phil Mershon’s approach combines human touch with technology, and he continues to seek innovative ways to improve the gathering of like-minded individuals.<\/p>\r\n
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Mre\u017eenje je eno klju\u010dnih razlogov, zakaj ljudje obiskujejo poslovne dogodke. \u010ceprav preprosto zbiranje okoli skupnega poslovnega tematskega dogodka oblikuje skupnost, ni zagotovila, da se bodo udele\u017eenci sre\u010dali s pravimi ljudmi. Naklju\u010dna sre\u010danja so \u010darobna, toda kaj, \u010de bi obstajal na\u010din za znatno pove\u010danje mo\u017enosti uspe\u0161nega poslovnega mre\u017eenja?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Phil Mershon verjame, da je vsaj del odgovora v imenovanju specifi\u010dnih ljudi kot “mre\u017enih” ambasadorjev (angl. networking ambassador). Mershon je avtor knjige “Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences” in direktor pri Social Media Examiner. Pomagal je ustvariti tesno povezano skupnost na glavnem dogodku Social Media Examiner, Social Media Marketing World.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
Ena izmed zna\u010dilnosti tega dogodka, ki se odvija vsako leto v San Diegu od leta 2013, je aktivna ekipa mre\u017enih ambasadorjev. Koncept se je za\u010del s pomo\u010djo strokovnjaka za mre\u017eenje, Mika Ambasadorja Brunyja, ki je vodil ekipo prvo leto in izobra\u017eeval druge. Takrat so bili mre\u017eni ambasadorji vedno del ekipe, zdaj pa jo sestavljajo samo prostovoljci, ki jih je izuril Mershon. Na leto\u0161njem dogodku marca je imela ekipa sedem \u010dlanov, ki so pomagali povezati skoraj 2.000 udele\u017eencev. “Gre za kulturo, ki jo \u017eelite ustvariti, kjer ljudje drug drugega dojemajo kot dostopne in odprte za pogovor,” je povedal Mershon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Kaj vklju\u010duje vloga mre\u017enega ambasadorja, ni enostavno dolo\u010diti. “Njihova glavna naloga je za\u010deti pogovore in usposabljati druge, da storijo enako,” je dejal Mershon. Del tega je preprosto biti to kar si, vendar pomaga, \u010de so ljudje naravno dobri pri vzpostavljanju stikov z drugimi. Vloga je v veliki meri intuitivna. Zahteva veliko socialne zavesti pri branju situacij. “Del tega, kar ambasadorji po\u010dnejo, je, da za\u010dnejo dovolj pogovorov in ljudi spravijo v udobno okolje, nato pa poskrbijo za prenos,” je povedal Mershon. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Nekateri ljudje se izka\u017eejo pri vzpostavljanju stikov in to storijo zelo u\u010dinkovito. Izku\u0161eni mre\u017eniki, kot je Bruny, lahko v dveh in pol dnevi vzpostavijo okoli 200 stikov. Povpre\u010dje prostovoljcev je pribli\u017eno 30. Idealno je nekje vmes. Toda to ni le igra \u0161tevilk. Ve\u010dina stikov je ena na ena, zato je pomembno razumeti, kako lahko hitro pomagate posamezniku. V\u010dasih gre samo za dobro poznavanje dogodka in vloga ambasadorja je podobna info to\u010dki. Drugi\u010d pa so potrebe ali zahteve veliko bolj kompleksne, na primer iskanje dolo\u010dene osebe ali osebe, ki ustreza dolo\u010denemu profilu med mno\u017eico. Sledenje je prav tako zelo pomembno, bodisi med dogodkom bodisi po njem. Klju\u010dno je, da si ljudje zapomnijo in se po\u010dutijo, da se zanje skrbi. “Na koncu dneva je pomembno to, da ljudi, ki radi vzpostavljajo stike z drugimi, pooblasti\u0161, da bodo to kar so, jim da\u0161 nekaj osnovnih orodij za u\u010dinkovito delo in jih nato spusti\u0161,” je povedal Mershon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Mershon pravi, da ga vedno presenetijo hitri u\u010dinki mre\u017enih ambasadorjev na dogodkih. “Vsi za\u010dnejo spoznavati, da je to varno okolje. To so moji ljudje. Skrbijo zame. In ni potrebno veliko \u010dasa, da to vpliva na celotno kulturo dogodka,” je dejal. V letih dela je Mershon izpopolnil svoj pristop. Natan\u010dno izbira prostovoljce, ki meni, da bi bili odli\u010dni ambasadorji. To obi\u010dajno vklju\u010duje ljudi, ki so \u017ee bili na dogodku, vendar to ni vedno nujno. Vendar pa morajo biti samostojni in dobro delovati sami. “Ljudje z dobrim nosom za stike bodo sami ugotovili, kam morajo iti. Ni jih treba voditi. Le dajati jim morate informacije o vpra\u0161anjih, ki jih ljudje morda postavljajo,” je povedal Mershon. Prav tako jim prvi dan omogo\u010di, da nosijo posebne majice, da so la\u017eje prepoznavni in lahko poi\u0161\u010dejo pomo\u010d. Med preostalim delom dogodka se obla\u010dijo tako kot drugi udele\u017eenci in delujejo inkognito. Njihova vloga se spreminja iz javnega informacijskega to\u010dka v prikritega facilitatorja \u010dlove\u0161kih stikov. Seveda je Mershon zadovoljen s rezultati. “To omogo\u010dite s kulturo, ki jo ustvarite, z vpra\u0161anji, ki jih zastavite, in ljudmi, ki to izvajajo. In nato morate preostalo dopustiti,” je dejal Mershon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Phil ni proti tehnologiji. Preizku\u0161a uporabo umetne inteligence za zbiranje in organiziranje podatkov o udele\u017eencih. Vidi prostor tako za tehnolo\u0161ke kot tudi \u010dlove\u0161ke re\u0161itve. Za prihodnost namerava vlagati v ve\u010d usposabljanja, da bi \u0161e izbolj\u0161al rezultate. Prav tako razmi\u0161lja o drugih strategijah za organiziranje sre\u010devanj ljudi. Pogovori za mizo in sre\u010danja so del na\u010drta. “Ambasadorji so dobri za ena na ena in ena na dva, za majhne stvari, ki se dogajajo med dogodkom. Ampak zdru\u017eevanje skupin ljudi je nekaj drugega,” je dejal Mershon.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to Phil Mershon, the solution may involve having dedicated networking ambassadors. Phil Mershon, the author of “Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences” and Director of Experience for Social Media Examiner, believes that networking ambassadors play a pivotal role in enhancing the networking experience. He has been instrumental in transforming Social Media […]