Networking is a science and an art. There’s a reason Dr. Lenny is at the door smiling welcoming our wonderful guests. His presence is science …his smile is the art.
Yes, smile. Do not focus on the food. Focus on being open to meeting people.
You’re here to network….and that means you’re an M&M! (Meeting and Moving)
You’re there to work the room.
Let’s say you come to an event with a co-worker.
Don’t stay together… SPLIT UP.
I’ll move left in one direction, and my co-worker will go to the right and go the other way. We work the room.
If you know someone there, greet them but move on quickly…
Stay OUT of your comfort zone …your job is to meet and then engage with people you DON’T know.
+++ When you meet someone new, make it easy for them and repeat your name several times.
++ Ask them about them… Why are they here? Do they need something? One of the BEST questions is who are they looking to meet and why?
++ As for yourself..your profession and the answer to the question “what do you do” are not necessarily the same…
Rachel Levin is a personal shopper…yet what if she introduced herself instead as, “working with people to build confidence and success by what people wear”. Now that’s a conversation starter!
++ If you take a business card, slip away for a moment and jot down a few notes about the contact to cement it in your memory bank.
Working the room means looking for the GOLD…
‘better to make one or two good connections rather than collecting a bunch of business cards.
++ Be on time, a few minutes early can be a lot better..
++ And, I’ll end by….not talking too much!
