Coworking can be a great way to network for business – and in an almost entirely non-salesy way, too. By just surrounding yourself with and meeting other freelancers and small business owners, you’re likely to ask them who they are and what they do (and vice versa), and find out naturally that they may be a good referral partner, or that they know someone who needs your help.
And now that we’re finally starting to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic and return to some sort of normality (yay!), I – and many others, I presume – will be keen to get back into the swing of coworking.
(Related – Anti-Selling vs COVID: Networking During a Pandemic)
Sometimes, you can arrive at a coworking space and find that it’s easy to meet other people there. Other times, however, it can feel a bit like turning up, doing work, and leaving again – without really getting the opportunity to integrate yourself properly. I had this happen the other day when I went to a coworking space for the day, but only ended up chatting to two people (one of whom I already knew well). Whoops…
Getting noticed & known at a coworking space
So, with that in mind, here are a few tips and tricks I’ve seen over the years (some I’ve done myself; some I’ve seen other people do) that’ll help you to get noticed and get your name out there a lot quicker – and therefore potentially speed up the networking side of things…
1. Tell people you already know who go there that you’ll be visiting 🗣️
If you know people who are already a member or a regular of a coworking space you’re thinking of going to, then let them know before you go.
If they’re there when you visit, it’ll not only be a good catch-up opportunity, but they may help to introduce you to other people. They can essentially act as a bridge / ice-breaker for getting to know other people there.
And even if they’re not there when you visit, they might still be able to help. They might say: “I won’t be there, but I’ll let Eren know you’re coming – you two might be able to work together.”
2. Reach out to potential referral partners (even if you don’t already know them) 👋
99.9% of the time, I am very much in the ‘never cold call/email people who don’t already know you’ camp.
This would probably be the only time I would suggest breaking that rule. But even then, I’d still urge caution on how to go about it.
I’m an SEO, so good referral partners for me include web developers, PRs, etc. If I was going to a coworking space and knew that a web developer and/or a PR might be there, I might consider emailing them ahead of time just to ask if they’ll be around on the day I’m visiting. Maybe just to get their thoughts on what the coworking space is like. Maybe offer to buy them a coffee (more on that later). Definitely keep it casual.
LinkedIn could work well here – if you have some mutual connections, that could act as a potential ice-breaker: “Oh, you know Mikasa? Me too! She’s ace. How do you two know each other?” Bonus points if they’re a member of the same coworking space as well. Heck, you could even ask them to make the intro for you.
(Yes, I’m using example names from characters in Attack on Titan – I’m a bit obsessed with it right now.) 😁
3. Get involved in their online community 💻
A lot of coworking spaces have an online community element to them, such as a Facebook group or a Slack channel. If you’re able to get onto that then it can be a great way to network with people on a number of fronts:
- You can continue to network with people you’ve already met in-person at the coworking space,
- You can also use it as an opportunity to meet people you’ve not yet met at the space. This could be folks who come in infrequently, or who come in on different days to the days you come in, or who are based in different rooms (if it’s a space with multiple coworking areas), or who are based at an office unit at the space (if applicable).
It’s all about carrying on the conversation outside of the coworking space, and being seen/known on multiple fronts: both offline and online.
4. Ask people if they’re happy to grab a coffee with you ☕
I saw this one happen a few years ago, and thought it was such a good idea…
After gaining access to a coworking space’s Facebook group (see above), a guy I know sent a message out saying he’d buy anyone a fancy coffee shop-style coffee if they’d be happy to chat to him for 20 minutes giving him their thoughts on the coworking space. Sort of a ‘inside scoop’ approach from its already established members.
I didn’t have much on at the time (also: I’m a cheap date!), so he bought me a cappuccino and we talked. I mean, if he hadn’t done this, I’m sure we would’ve met and talked eventually… but it was a cool way for him to meet a bunch of people at the space straight away – and to learn about its secrets and intricacies directly from members, rather than from the staff who run the place.
5. Ask people for advice and referrals (for stuff you need help with) ℹ️
Whether in-person at or on the online community for the coworking space, a good way to get to meet people is to simply ask them for help and advice. Need an accountant? Need a website? Need a [something else]? Just ask people.
In addition to hopefully getting help with whatever it is you need help with, it’s yet another potential ice-breaker. Someone on the online community might help you with something, then later on you see each other in person, and then you have that classic “wait, I know him/her!” moment. More ice broken.
6. Bring cake (seriously)! 🧁
Okay, so I’ll admit: this one just feels like a cheap move. 😂 (Except for the person splashing out on all the cake, of course…)
Want to get onto the coworking space’s members’ radar really quickly? Bring cake. Genuinely! I’ve seen a number of people do this – whether it’s their first visit, or a subsequent visit – and it always gets people’s attention.
(Oh and if you wanna be really loved, bring some gluten-free cake so that I can have some.) 😋
7. Go to the coworking space’s events 🎟️
Lastly, a lot of coworking spaces host events – whether they be dedicated networking events or something less formal, such as after-work socials, parties, or game nights, or something else entirely.
If you can go to them, go to them! It’s a great way to take the networking further and get to know people a little better.
And there we have it! Fast-tracking networking while coworking (there sure are a lot of ‘ing’ words in this sentence)! Do you network at coworking spaces? How do you find it? Any further tips to share? Feel free to leave a comment in the Disqus box below or send me a tweet!
