How to Make Friends? (Networking & Party Ideas)

Quality friendships are priceless. You meet someone for the first time and a bond is formed which connects you to that person. This post looks at some of the simple ideas for making new friends by networking and arranging parties.

One of the easiest things that you can do is to arrange a garden party and invite just 10 people, but ask each person to bring 2 people that you have never met. You can also request that they each bring a bottle of drink to share or you take the responsibility for all the refreshments.

Nowadays, you can use social media to set up a unique group and create a barrier to entry so that only those with similar interest can join. This strategy is popular on Facebook and LinkedIn. Some groups are so successful that they have weekly events.

To make new friends at these events you will need a certain amount of confidence to approach a complete stranger and start talking. The last thing that you want is to be seen standing by yourself. The best way to deal with any confidence issue is to be prepared and speak to the first person that makes eye contact with you. Start by saying hello with a smile and they will respond. From here, it gets more tricky so you need to focus. When you start a conversation, the person will want to know who you are and which company you are from or what you do. Keep it brief and do not hijack the conversation and make it all about yourself. See if you can explain what you do in just 2 short sentences and then allow the other person to do the same.

If you find yourself attracted to the other person, it will get more challenging. Should this happen, there is no preset response which works in all situations, but you could try taking more interest in what they are saying and exchange business cards. Whatever you do, there is certain etiquette which you should remember; do not get too excited or too loud, don’t forget their name and no personal contact like touching or patting on the back or shoulder. There will be many other attractive people at the event, so keep it brief and move on. As the host, you should arrange some light entertainment to create the perfect ambiance and ideally have a regular supply of canapes. The choice of music or live ensemble is important and should not make conversation too difficult by being loud. A steel drum band was not an obvious choice for networking parties, but we now have excellent relations with event planners who trust our expertise in this area.

After the event, you must follow up by thanking all your guests through the social platform and issue a bulletin about the upcoming event. Do not issue a series of bulletins, you need to give the impression that each event is really special. If you become successful at arranging such events, there will be opportunities to monetize the situation. You will also become a magnet and attract new friends and social followers.

Should any of these ideas work for you, we are happy to accept a gratuity and you are welcome to refer to this article in any promo material.