How Do I Make a Great First Impression at a Business Networking Event?

• Author: MSMNC Editorial Team

• Published: January 2026

• Update Frequency: Quarterly

• Next Review: April 2026

• Topics: First impression business networking event Chennai, how to introduce yourself networking event India, networking event tips Tamil Nadu, business networking confidence Chennai, MSMNC BOM first time attendee 2026

Quick Answer (For Those in a Hurry)

Making a great first impression at a business networking event comes down to three things: arriving prepared with a clear, specific business introduction, showing genuine curiosity about other people's businesses, and following through on every commitment you make before you leave the room.

The business owners who are remembered after a networking event are almost never the loudest or the most polished. They are the ones who made the people around them feel genuinely heard, who described their business in a way that made referrals obvious, and who did exactly what they said they would do in the forty-eight hours that followed.

Confidence helps. Preparation matters more. And character -- showing up as someone who gives before they receive -- matters most of all.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Most business owners walk into a networking event thinking about what they need. What clients they want. What referrals they are hoping to receive. What impression they need to make to get the room working in their favour.

This mindset, however understandable, produces exactly the wrong energy. People sense when they are being evaluated as a resource rather than engaged as a person. The business owner who arrives scanning the room for useful contacts creates a subtle but palpable transactional atmosphere that makes genuine connection harder, not easier.

The mindset shift that separates effective networkers from ineffective ones is simple and profound: walk in asking what you can give, not what you can get.

Who in this room could benefit from an introduction to someone you already know? Whose business sounds like it could use the client you encountered last week who was not quite right for you? Who looks like they are attending for the first time and could use a warm welcome and a genuine conversation?

This orientation toward giving does two things simultaneously. It makes you genuinely more pleasant and interesting to be around -- because people can feel when someone is curious about them rather than assessing them. And it positions you as exactly the kind of community member that every quality networking group values most -- the person who makes the room better by being in it.

The referrals come. They always come to the givers. But they come as a consequence of genuine community behaviour, not as the direct product of strategic calculation.

Preparing Your Introduction: The 60-Second Formula That Works

The single most important preparation you can do before any networking event is crafting and practising your business introduction. Not a long pitch. Not a CV summary. A precise, memorable, referral-ready sixty-second description of who you are, what you do, who you serve, and what a good referral looks like for you.

Here is the formula that works consistently for Chennai business owners across every sector:

Your name and business name. Clear and simple. Do not bury the lead with a preamble.

What your business does in one sentence. Specific outcome, not vague description. "I help growing Chennai businesses reduce their monthly accounting overhead by thirty percent through cloud-based bookkeeping" is infinitely more useful than "I am a CA."

Who your ideal client is. Be specific. Industry, size, stage, geography, specific problem. The more specific you are, the more easily the room can identify your ideal client when they encounter one.

What a good referral looks like. This is the most underused part of any networking introduction and the most valuable. Tell the room exactly what you are looking for. "If you know a manufacturing business in Chennai with between twenty and one hundred employees that is growing fast and struggling to keep up with GST compliance -- that is exactly who I want to meet."

One line that makes you memorable. Not a slogan. A human detail -- something about your business, your clients, or your approach that gives people a hook to remember you by and a starting point for a real conversation.

Practise this introduction until it sounds natural rather than rehearsed. The goal is not to sound scripted. It is to be so comfortable with the content that you can deliver it with genuine warmth and eye contact rather than nervous recitation.

Body Language and Presence: What the Room Reads Before You Speak

By the time you open your mouth to introduce yourself, the room has already formed an impression. Not a judgement -- an impression. And that impression is based entirely on how you carry yourself in the few minutes before the formal introductions begin.

A few fundamentals that matter more than most people realise:

Arrive on time or slightly early. Late arrivals to a structured networking event create an awkward disruption and signal, however unfairly, a lack of respect for other people's time. Early arrival gives you a few minutes to orient yourself, meet the event coordinator, and have a brief, genuine conversation with one or two people before the room fills up. These early conversations are often the warmest of the evening.

Make eye contact and smile genuinely. Not performatively. When someone introduces themselves to you, give them your full attention. Put your phone away. Look at them. Listen to what they are actually saying rather than formulating your response while they are still talking. In a room full of people half-distracted by their own anxiety, genuine attention is remarkable.

Stand open, not closed. Arms crossed, body angled away, eyes scanning the room -- these are signals of discomfort that the people around you will unconsciously read as disinterest or unfriendliness. Open posture, relaxed shoulders, and a natural orientation toward the person you are speaking with costs nothing and communicates volumes.

Introduce yourself first. Do not wait for others to approach you, especially if you are new. Walk up, extend a hand, introduce yourself by name and business. This small act of initiative is remembered far more positively than you might expect -- because most people are waiting for someone else to go first.

The Three Questions That Make You Memorable

After your introduction, the conversations that follow are where first impressions are either deepened into genuine connections or allowed to fade into forgettable pleasantries. The quality of those conversations depends largely on the quality of your questions.

Most people at networking events ask the same questions: "What do you do?" "How long have you been in business?" "Where is your office?" These are fine as opening moves but they go nowhere interesting on their own.

The questions that make you memorable are the ones that demonstrate genuine curiosity and create real dialogue:

"Who is your ideal client? I want to know who to look out for on your behalf." This question is transformative. It signals immediately that you are thinking about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. It produces the specific referral profile information you need to actually send them business. And it almost always generates a reciprocal question that gives you the opportunity to share your own ideal client profile.

"What is the biggest challenge your clients are facing right now?" This question takes the conversation beyond business description into genuine insight. The answer tells you not just what someone does but how they think about their clients' problems. It creates a real exchange of knowledge that both parties leave feeling enriched by.

"How did you get into this business?" This question is disarmingly personal in the best possible way. The answer almost always contains a genuine story -- a career shift, a moment of realisation, a problem the person encountered and decided to solve. Stories are what people remember. The business owner whose origin story you heard and connected with is the one whose card you will actually look at again tomorrow morning.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a BOM Event

The first impression does not end when you walk out of the room. It is completed -- or abandoned -- by what you do in the forty-eight hours that follow.

This window matters enormously. Memories of events, conversations, and people are most vivid in the first day or two after an interaction. Follow-up that arrives within this window lands in a context of warmth and fresh recollection. Follow-up that arrives a week later arrives as a cold reminder of something that has already faded.

Here is what effective post-event follow-up looks like:

Send a personalised message to every person you had a meaningful conversation with. Not a generic "nice to meet you." A specific reference to something from your actual conversation. "Enjoyed our conversation about the GST compliance challenges your manufacturing clients are facing -- I think I might know someone useful for you." This specificity signals that you were genuinely present and genuinely listening.

Make good on every commitment you made in the room. If you said you would introduce two people, make that introduction before the end of the next business day. If you said you would send an article or a contact or a piece of information, send it. The follow-through on small commitments is where trust is built or broken.

Schedule at least one one-to-one meeting. Identify the person whose business is most complementary to yours and send a specific invitation for a thirty-minute coffee or call. Not "we should connect sometime" but "are you free for a coffee on Thursday morning?" The difference between these two sentences is the difference between a connection that deepens and one that fades.

Reflect on what you observed. Who seemed like they were in need of a referral you could actually help with? Who introduced themselves in a way that reminded you of a client you know? Who looked like they were new and could use a warm follow-up from someone who noticed? These observations, acted on, are the beginning of the generous networking reputation that makes the best communities work.

How MSMNC's BOM Format Removes the Awkwardness for First-Timers

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from first-time BOM attendees is that the structured format removed the awkwardness they had been dreading.

The anxiety of walking into a networking event cold -- not knowing anyone, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to make yourself useful or interesting -- is entirely understandable. It is also entirely addressed by a well-designed meeting format.

At a BOM event, you know exactly what is coming. The introduction round gives every single person in the room a defined moment to be heard. The referral segment shows you immediately and concretely that this community does what it says it does. The open networking period that follows happens in a room full of people who now know who you are and what you do -- which transforms the opening of every subsequent conversation from a cold start into a warm continuation.

The MSMNC team also ensures that first-time attendees are welcomed and oriented before the meeting begins. You will not be left standing alone wondering what happens next. Someone will introduce themselves, explain the format, and make sure you are comfortable before the meeting starts.

MSMNC is ISO 9001:2015 certified, meaning the first-timer experience -- like every other aspect of the community -- is held to a documented quality standard. Your first BOM event will be organised, welcoming, and worth your time.

To register for your first BOM event, contact the MSMNC team via WhatsApp or call at +91-9551369369, email msmnc.in@gmail.com, or visit msmnc.in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I make a good first impression at a business networking event? A: Arrive prepared with a clear sixty-second introduction covering your business, ideal client, and referral request. Show genuine curiosity about others by asking good questions. Make specific commitments before you leave and honour them within forty-eight hours. The business owners who are remembered are those who made people feel heard and followed through on what they promised.

Q: What should I say when introducing myself at a networking event for the first time? A: Use the formula: your name and business name, what your business does in one outcome-focused sentence, who your ideal client is specifically, and what a good referral looks like for you. End with one memorable human detail. Practise until it sounds natural, not scripted.

Q: How do I follow up after a business networking event in Chennai? A: Send personalised messages to everyone you had a meaningful conversation with within forty-eight hours, referencing something specific from your conversation. Make good on every commitment you made in the room. Schedule at least one one-to-one meeting with the person whose business is most complementary to yours.

Q: Is it okay to attend a networking event if I am not yet confident about my business? A: Absolutely. Honesty about where you are in your business journey is more compelling than a polished presentation of a business you are not yet sure of. "I am building my client base and I am here to build my professional circle" is a completely credible and sympathetic introduction that invites support rather than evaluation.

Q: How do I network effectively if I am naturally introverted? A: Structured networking formats like MSMNC's BOM events are particularly well-suited to introverts. The format removes the need to cold-approach strangers. Every attendee gets a defined introduction slot. Conversations after introductions are warm and purposeful rather than manufactured. Many of the most effective networkers inside BOM communities are self-described introverts who find the structure liberating.

Q: What are the best questions to ask at a business networking event? A: "Who is your ideal client -- I want to know who to look out for on your behalf" is the single best opening question. Follow it with "what is the biggest challenge your clients are facing right now" for deeper dialogue, and "how did you get into this business" when you want a memorable personal story that creates genuine connection.

Q: How do I register for a BOM event at MSMNC as a first-time attendee? A: Contact the MSMNC team via WhatsApp or call +91-9551369369, email msmnc.in@gmail.com, or visit msmnc.in. The team will orient you to the format and ensure you are comfortable before your first meeting begins.

The Bottom Line

A great first impression at a networking event is not about being the most impressive person in the room. It is about being the most genuinely present, the most specifically prepared, and the most reliably consistent in following through on what you committed to.

The business owners who build the strongest networks are not the natural extroverts or the charismatic speakers. They are the ones who showed up prepared, listened carefully, gave generously, and kept their word -- every single time.

That is not a talent. It is a choice. And it is available to every business owner who walks into the room.

MSMNC -- My Strength My Network Community -- is Tamil Nadu's ISO 9001:2015 certified business networking community. The BOM format is designed to make your first networking event productive, welcoming, and worth every minute of your time. Visit msmnc.in, WhatsApp or call +91-9551369369, or email msmnc.in@gmail.com to join the next event.