Continuing our exploration of red flags at networking events, let's look at more types of people who might warrant a cautious approach. Recognising these behaviours can help you make better choices about who to engage with, ensuring your time and efforts are well spent.
Additional Red Flags to Watch Out For
7. The Over-Promiser
Characteristics:
This individual makes grand promises and commitments without much substance to back them up. They often speak of lucrative opportunities or collaborations that seem too good to be true.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Overly enthusiastic gestures and exaggerated facial expressions.
- Makes bold claims but struggles to provide specifics or concrete details.
- Their story may shift slightly with each telling, indicating inconsistency.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
Follow-ups continue to promise much but deliver little in the way of concrete details or actions. They may become evasive when pressed for specifics.
8. The Mimic
Characteristics:
This person mirrors your opinions, interests, and body language excessively. While some level of mirroring is natural, too much can suggest an attempt to manipulate or gain your trust quickly.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Repeats your words or phrases and mimics your gestures noticeably.
- Overly quick to agree or align with your viewpoints, even when it seems unlikely.
- Appear too eager to please or impress, lacking their authentic voice.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
Their messages may continue to closely reflect your interests or ideas, making it feel like they need to try harder to build rapport.
9. The Contact Collector
Characteristics:
More interested in gathering your details than in understanding you or your business. They frequently request your business card, digital contacts, or social media information but need more genuine interest in meaningful conversation.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Asks for multiple forms of contact (business card, digital card, WhatsApp, WeChat) quickly without a substantial exchange.
- Moves from one person to another, focused on collecting contacts rather than building relationships.
- Engagement wanes if you try to discuss your work or industry in detail.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
They may send a generic message or add you to a contact list, but authentic engagement is rare. They could use your information to expand their network without offering reciprocal value.
10. The Photo Opportunist
Characteristics:
This individual seeks to take photos with you, often for their own benefit. They may use these images to suggest a closer association or endorsement than exists, especially if their intentions are questionable.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Insists on taking photos with you without an apparent reason or context.
- Attempts to position you in photos with other notable attendees to imply a false connection.
- Persists even if you show hesitation or discomfort.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
They might use these photos on social media or professional platforms to imply a level of association or endorsement that isn’t accurate, potentially manipulating how others perceive you.
11. The Irrelevant Storyteller
Characteristics:
This person often discusses past experiences irrelevant to the event, your business, or any potential collaboration. They may share lengthy stories about their personal history, family, or achievements that don’t benefit the current context.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Frequently brings up anecdotes about their past, such as stories about their grandparents, childhood, or unrelated past experiences.
- Conversations need more focus, meandering away from topics relevant to the event or your shared interests.
- Focuses more on telling stories about how good or accomplished they were in past situations, with little relevance to the present.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
They may continue to share unrelated stories in follow-up communications, making it difficult to focus on any productive conversation or potential collaboration. Their lack of relevance can indicate a lack of interest in forming a meaningful, forward-looking connection.
12. The Interrupter
Characteristics:
This person frequently interrupts conversations, either to redirect the focus to themselves or to assert their opinions. They often dominate discussions, leaving little room for others to contribute.
Body Language and Conversation Clues:
- Interrupts you mid-sentence or speaks over you.
- Quickly shifts the conversation back to their interests or achievements.
- Rarely asks questions or shows interest in what you have to say.
Follow-Up Behaviour:
In follow-up communications, they may continue to dominate the conversation, sending long messages about their views or needs with minimal engagement with your input or perspective.
Final Thoughts: Approach Networking with a Balanced Mindset
While it’s crucial to be aware of these potential red flags, they should not deter you from engaging fully at networking events. Most attendees are there for the same reasons as you — to connect, learn, and grow professionally. Remember that every interaction, even those that seem unpromising, can offer valuable lessons.
Focus on building authentic connections by being genuine, adding value, and staying curious. Remember, meaningful relationships take time to develop, and patience and persistence are key.
Disclaimer: Keep an Open Perspective
This guide reflects personal experiences and everyday observations in networking environments and is intended to help you make informed decisions. However, not every behaviour mentioned here signifies trouble. Stay aware, trust your instincts, and approach each networking event with an optimistic yet discerning mindset. Your professional journey is about growth, connection, and exploration, and with the right balance, networking can be a gratifying aspect of it.
If you have yet to see Part One of this guide on recognising red flags at networking events, check it out for more valuable insights.
