Last Monday we held the September networking event in Bistro 61 – just next to my office, so very handy (well as one of the co-organisers this month I thought I would take advantage!)  I had told the restaurant manager that we could be around 50 women, as now after Eid there would be a lot of people back from vacation.  We never expected to have over 85 attend!

It was a great evening, although I have to say I didn’t get to circulate much at all being on the welcome desk.  Maha, Estelle and myself spent most of the evening registering all the women arriving.

It was great to see so many new faces, and hopefully to reassure those who were new to networking.  If have written early blogs on networking tips, I hope some new members might read them and find them helpful.

It continues to surprise me that so many women ask after registering, ‘now what do I do?’   Somehow we feel that going to a  “networking” event means we have to be someone different than ourselves, or behave according to some preconceived notion of what a “professional woman” does when networking.  The reality is that networking is about enabling other people to know, like and trust you.  Networking is not about your business, it’s not about being there to sell your services, it’s about building relationships, which actually women seem to do very well and naturally!

On Monday’s event, it was great to see such a wide range of diverse interests, businesses, ages and backgrounds, all having a great deal of fun together.  I am sure that connections were made which will build the foundation of future projects and further connections.  You may not think that the young graduate seeking work can help you build your business, but who knows who she has in her network, or her family??

I am looking to see many more women at future events with QPWN, and remember to save the date for the group’s launch on

Tuesday evening,

7 December, 2010

Four Seasons, Apres Spa Terrace

September After-Work Networking Coffee:

This is an opportunity for women of all backgrounds to make new friends, broaden professional networks and have a chat!  We meet on the last Monday of each month, we vary the location so if you are new to Doha you will hopefully discover some new venues.

When – Monday, September 27th  5.00 – 7 pm

Where – Bistro 61 – at Al Fardan Towers

What – Join Qatar Professional Women’s Network (QPWN) for an informal coffee networking event

Cost – you simply pay for  whatever drinks or snacks you fancy from the cafe Bistro 61

RSVP – If possible, please RSVP through their Facebook and Linked In groups to give them an estimate on attendees.  Feel free to invite a friend or colleague!

Little reminders – Only women are permitted to attend QPWN events.

Who are they? – Qatar Professional Women’s Network  is an informal networking group for Qatari and expatriate professional women.

QPWN aims to support the development of future women leaders and contribute to the sustainability of the local community by:

• Helping its members expand their networks

• Refine their professional capabilities, and

• Benefit from cross-cultural sharing.

QPWN is open to any woman regardless of nationality, profession, age, or educational background, including students, freelancers and part-time workers.

Women who are currently not working outside the home and would like to maintain their professional network and skills are also welcome to join QPWN.

QPWN offers regular events, which include networking, keynote speakers and panel discussions. Participation in QPWN events is on a pay-by-event basis (no membership fees), and is supported purely by volunteers’ time and contributions.

To become a member, please email:

qatarpwn@gmail.com, or become a fan of Qatar Professional Women’s Network on Facebook and/or Linked In.

Membership is restricted to women only.

So you have your elevator pitch prepared, you have rehearsed this with friends, and you are now about to enter the room:

Tip No. 4 – Remember your posture!  Take a deep breath and stand tall, head high and enter the room confidently with a smile.  Personally, I usually nip to the rest room first and then get myself in a positive, confident frame.  Visualise yourself walking in, meeting interesting and friendly people, and remember to breathe!

Tip No. 5 – Rember to have a hand free to greet people with – this may sound obvious, but think about how you will juggle any bags or papers you have with you, glass or cup, even a plate of food.

Tip No. 6 – If you are introducing others to a new arrival, don’t just say their name and their job or who they work with, make it personal, ‘this is Claire, she does an amazing job of being a Mum to Tom and Alicia, as well as working full time for XYZ company’

Tip No 7 – Remember your manners and keep eye contact with the person you are talking to.  When someone tells you their name, repeat it back to them.  Everyone likes to hear their name mentioned, and this will help you to remember the name also

Tip No 8 – Approach small groups and look for people who are standing in an open, accessible grouping.  You will see some close-knit groups who form a tight circle, this is a sign that they do not want to be disturbed – best to wait awhile and see if the circle opens out before you approach them.  Stay between 3 – 7 minutes and then move on.

Last 2 tips to follow and these will be on the topic of Business Cards, and the importance of Follow-up.

Many people feel daunted by the prospect of  ‘Networking’, but in reality it is something which everyone can do, and need not be frightening at all!

For now I’d like to focus on the networking events – those events which are meant to be opportunities for you to develop new business contacts for business or personal connections.

As a keen networker I have been to probably hundreds of events and have summarised the first 3 of my  ‘Top Ten Tips’ below:

1. Be clear on your PURPOSE - and in my view this is not to sell! I’ve talked to networking groups and asked everyone who is there to sell their products or services to raise their hands.  Usually the majority of hands in the room go up.  Then I ask ‘who has come here to be sold to?’, surprise, surprise, hardly anyone’s hand goes up.  So take the pressure off of yourself and set your objectives as being more along the lines of ‘identifying contacts in the xyz industry’ or ‘someone with expertise in …’

Remember that people really only do business with those they know, like and trust – which all takes time.

2.         Do your homework on who will be there.  Most events publish lists of attendees, or have websites which show the names of the members of the group.  Now you are clear on your purpose for attending, you can be more selective about who you will want to meet and spend time with.

3.         Have a clear ‘Elevator Pitch’ – this comes from the notion that if we were stuck in an elevator with someone who asks ‘what is it that you do?’ we would have a clear explanation to give in the time it takes for the lift to travel a few floors – about 3 mins is the usual time allocated.   So in just 3 mins, what are the key points to come across?  A simple struture might be:

“my name is………… and my company is…………………..we help people to achieve ……….  So who do you know who has problems with…….’

There are many variations on this structure, but the purpose is to help people you meet to be clear about who are your best contacts, and what are the problem areas you can help alleviate.  If you keep in mind that the people you are meeting are not necessarily your end user, but they could well be introducers or advocates for your services, then you need to provide enough information in a short period of time to help them to help you.

So, these are my top 3 tips – the hardest of which is getting that elevator pitch right! The key is to practice, practice, practice.  Try recording yourself first, and then sign up for the next available networking event and put it into practice with some friends.  Ask for their feedback, after you’ve told them what you do, can they think of 3 people it would be useful to connect you with?

Have fun!

I am very pleased to have been invited to become one of the core team members of this new network.  So far we have had a ‘soft launch’ of the group, holding 2 ‘After work’  networking events in May and June which attracted over 50 women to each!  If you are a women living in Qatar, and whether you are employed professionally or employed in the home and want to network with other professional women, then please look out for news of future events on the LinkedIn or Facebook Group.

Further details below:

Qatar Professional Women’s Network (QPWN) is an informal networking group for Qatari and expatriate professional women. QPWN was launched by Christina Zini, with support from several other expatriate women living in Doha.

QPWN aims to support the development of future women leaders and contribute to the sustainability of the local community by:

• Helping its members expand their networks
• Refine their professional capabilities, and
• Benefit from cross-cultural sharing.

QPWN is open to any woman regardless of nationality, profession, age, or educational background, including students, freelancers and part-time workers. Women who are currently not working outside the home and would like to maintain their professional network and skills are also welcome to join QPWN.

QPWN offers regular events, which include networking, keynote speakers and panel discussions. Participation in QPWN events is on a pay-by-event basis (no membership fees), and is supported purely by volunteers’ time and contributions.

To become a member, please email qatarpwn@gmail.com, or become a fan of Qatar Professional Women’s Network on Facebook and/or Linked In. Membership is restricted to women only.