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Networking tips help us make and keep good relationships with friends and clients. You can find lots of networking tips everywhere — on the internet, in books, and from colleagues. In fact, I just Googled “networking tips” and in 0.3 seconds I found about 168 million links. I’m sure I’d be interested in seeing just a few of these, but they’re all available.
Let me tell you about three of my favorite networking tips. First, a little background.
I network all the time and attend special networking events often. One I attended last night was particularly good. It was an open house party hosted by a big Silicon Valley company that rents supplies for weddings, parties, and other special events. Attending were about 300 caterers, wedding planners, and event professionals like myself.
Magnolia Jazz Band in San Jose 2012
Exactly the group I like to stay in touch with, and who I’m hoping will think of me whenever they need elegant musical entertainment. Like I did last night, I often have the band creating a perfect atmosphere there. Amy Frugoli, of Twitterpated Weddings, caught us in a quiet mood with her smartphone camera. Thanks, Amy!
It was a wonderful evening. Whenever the band wasn’t playing, I was out and about, chatting with friends and clients. I had nice conversations with easily several dozen of my best colleagues. I met six new people I hope to work with one of these days. And EVERYONE had an opportunity to refresh their memory of what we bring to a party.
So what made it a successful party for me? I prepared well. Three of my favorite networking tips are about preparation.
1. I “primed the pump”, promoting the event well in advance, with my own personal messages. This included in my blog, in my email newsletter, and on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn. My “target” knew I’d be there, looking forward to a nice chat.
2. I “psyched” myself up, visualizing myself meeting people in a sea of my friends. For many of the people I expected to see, I prepared a good question about what they’re up to. Failing that, I prepared several interesting “open-ended” questions, and I planned to listen more than talk.
3. I remembered to bring three things: a good supply of business cards in my pocket, plenty of brochures on the “collateral” table, and a warm smile on my face.
You can find many more networking tips everywhere, and I encourage you to seek them out. I like these three especially because they fit in with my own person-to-person, detail-oriented operating style. You may like these too, but you’ll probably select three others as your own favorites.
How about YOU? How do YOU prepare for a networking event? What favorite networking tips would you add to this list?
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The Magnolia Jazz Band entertains at weddings and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are nearby, you’ll love catching us in action, seeing and hearing us create a great mood. In the meantime, please join our Facebook fans to receive daily tips for planning wedding and party music and to receive reminders for our public events.
Thanks for reading this article. I appreciate your interest and hope you get a few good ideas here. Got one or two? I'd love to hear what you liked. Please write me a little COMMENT below. Start a conversation -- I'll reply. Promise.
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Meanwhile, the Magnolia Jazz Band entertains at weddings and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are ever nearby, you’ll love catching us in action, seeing and hearing us create a great mood.
How can I help you? Call 408-245-9120 or use [email protected]. Planning a celebration? Ask about our availability.
