Knowhow: Working The Room | Techniques for how to successfully manage mingling
One of the most successful marketing tools we have today is one that costs little more than your time and effort: Networking. And while every business executive has experience networking, we can all do a better job of it, armed with the right strategies.
One very successful strategy is to employ a combination of charm and chutzpah, even though those two terms may sound like inherent contradictions.
Taking Risks
Chutzpah is often thought of as having gall or nerve. But what it means in this context is the courage to take risks. Most businessmen and women will say, “It’s no problem for me to introduce myself to a stranger.” But in practice, many networkers play it safe, sticking to recognizable colleagues and acquaintances. This is where chutzpah comes in.
Talk with those you want to know better and follow up with them to arrange a one-on-one. Don’t sit with or spend valuable networking time with those you know very well. Or worse yet, those you work with!
Personality Traits
Charm is defined as the ability to captivate, delight, attract and please. In other words, charm is the power to gain affection.
In a business sense, charm is an elusive quality that draws us to people and makes us believe they care about us. President Nixon didn’t have charm. President Reagan did.
When chutzpah and charm come together, you have magic. You care about people and you have the courage to walk up to them and let them know it. This is not something we need to learn; it is something we all have and that we have developed to a greater or lesser extent. Practice makes this dynamic duo stronger.
Armed with chutzpah and charm, the strategies below will ensure your success as an effective networker:
The entrance. Be sure to arrive on time. Stand tall and walk into the room. Don’t hang out in the doorway. Look over the room strategically — Where are the refreshments? Where are people congregating? Look for people that look vaguely familiar. Walk up to them and introduce yourself.
The buddy system. Not comfortable in the company of those you don’t know very well? Go with a friend and introduce each other around. Practice your 10-second introductions with enthusiasm. Split up as soon as possible because being joined at the hip for the duration isn’t effective. Develop a “rescue” signal to help each other if either of you gets stuck with a long-winded conversationalist.
Look for the loner. Approach the person standing alone, looking uncomfortable. Walk up to him and say, “Hello.” When you care about other people’s comfort more than your own, your self-consciousness or shyness will go away.
The opener. There are a million great opening lines. Make a statement about what is happening in the room. Ask a question relevant to the situation or group. Or voice a pleasant self-revelation. Disclose something about yourself, but don’t reveal anything too personal that burdens the listener.
Moving in. There is a difference between including yourself in other people’s conversations and intruding on them. Use sensitivity. Watch body language and listen to the tone of the conversation for clues. Hang out at the edge of the group and give non-verbal feedback until you feel included in the conversation. Avoid approaching two people who are having an intense conversation.
Moving on. A graceful exit is the goal. You are there to meet new people and to strengthen new relationships, so it is important not to spend the entire event with the same person. When leaving the event, be sure to thank the host. Several people were instrumental in organizing the event and your acknowledgment of their work will be remembered and appreciated.
Katherine Jasmine is the owner of MarketingFIRST in Shirley.
She can be reached at marketingfirst@aol.com.
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