I agree with Heather White that networking at next month’s Conservative Party conference will be the most important as we edge closer to the next general election.

I thought her advice for budding political candidates which was recently highlighted on ConservativeHome expressed good common sense, so I have repeated them here in the links below.

Developing a networking strategy

Making a good impression with people that matter

Vying for selection and dealing with rival candidates

Networking in your constituency

Party Conference Survival Guide

As it is less than two weeks away, I thought this extract from the Party Conference Survival Guide might be helpful. The advice could also apply to others working in the political sphere with their own agenda:

Why are you actually at Conference and who do you want to meet? Is this a chance to improve your contacts, recruit supporters or raise money? And who are the individuals that you need to reach?  Could any of your existing contacts help or is there an organisation that may help create an introduction? As a candidate, is there an issue you really want to be raising with someone or a key journalist you want to meet?

The first thing to do now is to prepare a list of all those people that you already know. Make contact with them and arrange a coffee, lunch or drink in the bar. Is there anything you can do to help them, do they have a fringe event you could help support? Think about what they are doing now, have they moved jobs recently? Are they connected to other people who may be good for you to meet?

Do you need pictures with key party members for campaign materials or do you really want to speak to a major donor who could help boost your campaign coffers?  Is there someone in your list who may be able to make it happen? Or do they know someone who could help? Or perhaps you do not know anyone relevant to get to your target so you are going to have to work out a route on without any assistance at all.

If you are going it alone, when and where will you meet these people? Look thoroughly through the Conference handbook and plan a diary of key fringe events or speeches to attend. If you really want to meet George Osborne, it would be helpful if you’d bothered to hear his Conference speech, for example, as a way to start a conversation.  Or perhaps Eric Pickles might have time during the Conservatives Pub Quiz he’s hosting.

Time will be limited at this Conference, more than ever before; you have to ensure you have planned exactly what you want to say and what you want to ask. Making the right impression is one thing, but having a useful, engaging conversation should be the end-game – work on it and prepare.

This will be the first time I have attended the party conference, so I welcome your advice too on how to survive it. I shall be working while I’m there, but I certainly do intend to enjoy myself as well. I shall look forward to meeting up with old friends and making new ones.