I’m an introvert at heart, but capable of putting myself on stage and adding a bit of energy. Participating in what I call business speed dating requires me to accomplish that in bucketfuls.

Friday I participated in a such an event sponsored by the Association of Consultants for Nonprofits (ACN) and yesterday with Business Network Chicago (BNC). As the introvert in me was exhausted by the time I arrived at each event, my cooperative social being had another thought, “hey, I might meet some interesting people!” And I did.

Here’s the basic formula for those of you who have never participated in this strange kind of activity. It’s like speed dating, as seen in the movies, only it’s group dating! You are to come with your “elevator pitch” prepared: what do you offer and what are you looking for? It is supposed to be from 30 – 60 seconds long.

Friday’s breakfast event started with each of us delivering our “elevator speech.” We then sat at randomly assigned tables with five other people and discussed an assigned topic. If we met someone that we wanted to connect with further, we exchanged business cards and followed up later with emails.

Yesterday’s event was a luncheon of techies. Prior to arriving, we had been assigned to a table and to a specific pattern of rotation at other tables. In total we had four table assignments, each with a different configuration of people. At each table we began with our elevator pitch and then there was free discussion of possible connecting interests, as they might have been recognized from our brief introductions.

At the ACN event, I met and am following up with two people. The same happened for me at yesterday’s BNC event. Jean Pickering, the organizer of the BNC event, suggested that we shouldn’t judge the success of these events on the people we met directly, but that the gold mine was in the access to their formal and informal networks.

I’ll wait and see whether this process introduces me to potential customers, but in preparation, I did manage to get my elevator pitch down to 42 seconds. Is that worth anything?

Hear my 42 second “Elevator Speech.” It’s as short as I can get it!