Plan for the Event or Flounder

Rather than being there to eat the food and drink the drinks, planning before attending an event will change your view.

Have you ever attended an event and seen all the people gravitating towards the food and the drinks? That is the first thing people seem to go for. Well, it is natural, especially if you are there alone and do not know anyone. It seems that food and drink are there for comfort. It is really difficult to talk to anyone with a mouthful, so if you can, stay away from the food, but certainly go and get a drink. You can still give your pitch with a drink in hand.

Take a look at your calendar before you head off to one of these events. You will need to know from memory when you are free for a follow-up appointment. This is part of the preparation you need to do before getting there. Then you can make a date and know there is no conflict with other items on your agenda. Nothing is worse than setting an appointment and finding out that you already have scheduled someone else in that time slot. It may seem like a good excuse for a follow up, but it usually does not bode well with a potential client.

You do not want to partake of any conversation that is whining about some guy that can never get anything straight. Just remember that you are at the event for one purpose and one purpose alone - it is not to eat and drink - it is to gain new business relationships and maybe cement some of the existing ones you have. The more visible you are and the more prepared you are, then the more likely someone will want to talk to you. You should also plan on how to get into private conversations without barging in and losing the flow of information.

Have you ever gone to an event and not worn the correct attire? Part of planning an event (seeing who will be attending) is to also research the nature of the event. Does the weather have an effect on who attends? Does the required dress have an effect on where it is held? Who will be leading the event and how are they regarded? What attitude does the event portray? It all comes down to knowing your audience and researching the event before you attend.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com

---

How To Make Your Next Networking Event A Success

There are people who are natural born networkers - those... Read More

How Well Do Your Customers Know You?

Know your customer, know your customer, know your customer. Three... Read More

Talk Isnt Cheap

The most successful organizations have good communication skills. Survey after... Read More

Sticky Situations: Nametag Best Practices

Because a person's name is the single context of human... Read More

Unforgettable First Impressions Part 1: Discover the CPI

People like others whom they are like. So if you... Read More

Good Manners Mean Good Business

Good manners, good networking and good business all have the... Read More

Success Sentences to Help Combat Conversational Crappiness

Essential to your success as an effective, engaging communicator is... Read More

The 7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers

Networking is a term that didn't exist (academically) until almost... Read More

Keys to Successful Networking While In Transition

Let's be real. With other pressures of life upon us,... Read More

Networking Skills: Arguing in Context

If you're fond of a good debate, you know how... Read More

Ask for Referrals: And Get the Answer You Want!

Why are people scared to ask for a referral? Is... Read More

10 Steps to Successful Networking

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."This old... Read More

Work that Room, Baby!

Networking, schmoozing, making connections. Call it what you want, it's... Read More

Powerful Networking: Focus on Building Connections, Not Closing Sales

You can find numerous references in the business literature about... Read More

Effective Business Networking: 5 Tips For Mastering The Art of Networking

The heart of any business is the connection it has... Read More

Building Great Business Relationships

If you're in a business relationship with anyone ? a... Read More

How to Shmooze

Definition: talk idly or casually in a friendly way Value:... Read More

10 Terrific Tips to Talk Your Way to the Top

What is "the top" anyway? According to society, "top" has... Read More

Give People Something to Talk About!

My husband and I tried an experiment one night. We... Read More

10 Effective Ways to Remember Names

Sigmund Freud says "a person's name is the single context... Read More

Getting Leads

How many leads do you pass on?As a reminder, you... Read More

The 4 Attitudes of Awesome Hospitality

Hospitality relates to the Latin term philoxenia, or "the love... Read More

You MUST Be Visible

Have you ever noticed how visible large corporations are? Take... Read More

Marketing Essentials: The 15 Second Elevator Speech

You're at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices... Read More

Politics, Religion, Race; Conversational No-No?s in Business

Do not destroy all your positive displacement and high energy... Read More

How to Avoid Falling Asleep Behind the Conversational Wheel

Think about the last time you feel asleep behind the... Read More

Mother Said - Wash Your Hands

Think health articles are boring? This one isn't, so read... Read More

Why Cant I Start A Conversation With You?

One out of every ten Americans has a fear of... Read More

Lesson 69 - When Networking Events Fail

The StoryIn a quest to create strategic alliances, coalitions, and... Read More

Growing Your Network of People Can be Easy and Fun!

A few years back when I moved to Charlotte, NC... Read More

Two-Step Your Communication

Ever use someone else to get your message out?For example,... Read More

Is The Company You Keep Hurting Your Business?

When you look at your friends, it's like looking into... Read More

Planting the Seeds of Greatness - Make it Great Newsletter #7

Thought of the WeekThis week, I'd like to challenge you... Read More