While speaking with a few of my business friends the other day, I was quite shocked to hear that most of them had never given much thought to the idea of networking while flying. So many missed opportunities! Sure, there’s always the fear of accidentally engaging The Never-ending Talker or, even worse, the fear of being perceived as Mr. or Ms. Annoying yourself. However, if you know how to do it right, you’ll find you’re meeting interesting people and making engaging connections. As I always say: network, network, network!
I love networking on airplanes. In fact, I’ve found some of the best networking opportunities at 35,000 feet. But you do need to know how to network both wisely and respectfully, or you risk being memorable for the wrong reasons. Try my airplane networking tips to get the most out of your next flight.
Choosing Your Seat
A handful of major airlines let you choose your seats when you get on the plane. Southwest Airlines and Hawaiian Air are two of my favorites for this exact reason. When you get to choose your seat at boarding time, you get to scope out the people you might be interested in meeting. Could be someone who looks interesting, or a person who looks like a business owner, or even someone in your target market. This type of airline usually lacks a first-class section, so everyone is equally dispersed and you never know what kinds of interesting people you’ll get to interact with.
When picking my seat, I like the aisle. Not only do I like the aisle for the extra legroom and elbow room for mousing and typing, but the aisle offers up more people possibilities. I can talk to my seatmates, and also the people across the aisle. When the seats are staggered, you’re looking at an added bonus: two rows to choose from, instead of just one!
Find Your Talker
We all know not everyone wants to chat it up while flying. Many people need to catch up on work or sleep, so it’s important to find people who actually want to talk. The trick is to make yourself appear friendly immediately upon arriving at your seat. Say a simple hello to everyone around you: your seatmate(s), your aisle mates, and to the people in front and in back of you.
Your polite hello is KEY. Don’t start talking right away, just offer a nice hello, make eye contact, and show a little smile. In doing so, you’re establishing your presence as a friendly, open soul on board. Then, you wait a bit. Wait until everyone’s well settled in and you’ll see opportunities to pursue conversation. Maybe someone gets tired of working, or stops listening to music, or takes a break for the inevitable bathroom trip. I’ve found that people are more likely to engage in a quick chat with you after they come back from the lavatory, especially if you’ve shown respect by not bothering them too soon into the flight.
Just be available when people start getting bored. After awhile, most people are usually looking for a bit of human interaction. They’ll remember how nice and friendly you were upon boarding, and you’ll become the first person they engage in conversation! If I notice someone making eye contact or fidgeting, I might make a comment about the magazine they were reading or their drink choice. Depending on the response, it’s easy to gauge whether or not they’re interested in conversation.
Do Not Disturb
It’s important to leave people be when they want to be left alone. Here are some cues:
- Earbuds/Earphones in or on ears
- Open book or magazine
- Open or on laptop
- Zero or very little eye contact
- No smile reciprocation
- Traveling with friends or a significant other
- Their eyes are closed (I know you knew that one!)
How to Exit a Conversation
Maybe you need to get some work done, or maybe you’re just not interested in the conversation—whatever your reasoning, sometimes you just need an out. Above all, be polite. While wrapping it up, go ahead and shuffle through your bag and break out your headphones, a book, or your notebook or laptop. Then thank the person for the conversation, but explain you’d like to get some sleep or work done or what have you. In my experience, most people will take the hint when you present an item from your luggage; they’ll even wrap up the conversation way before you have to explain yourself.
The Big Picture
Some people are extroverts who enjoy talking and networking, and others are not. It takes a bit of observation and some ability to read body language before you set the stage and break the ice early to get the most out of your in-flight networking. I’ve observed that most people don’t mind socializing and networking on a long flight, but a lot of people simply have a hard time talking to a complete stranger. So if you make the first move, you might be surprised how many people really do want to chat. Just respect those who want to keep to themselves. (Hey, my husband’s that type. It’s ok.)
When you leave yourself open to others, if you’re meant to connect with someone, you will. Check out this interesting article on making in-flight connections: Still Ignoring Your Seatmates? Big Mistake.
Have you made an interesting connection in the sky? Tell us about it—leave a comment below!