[jsfg_cinti] How to work the room

Interesting article:

How to Work a Room

INSIGHTS | by Jeff Ousborne |

We tag along as an expert networker demonstrates the art of the schmooze.

It's 6:50 A.M. at an early-riser business-and-technology conference at the

Museum of Science in Boston. A model of Skylab hangs from the high ceiling

of the upper concourse, giving the room a dreamy feeling. The attendees, a

mix of about 750 entrepreneurs, techies, and venture capitalists, have come

to scout clients, money, and jobs.



Diane Darling is hunting clients. If there's such a thing as a professional

networker, it's Darling, a business school lecturer and founder of Effective

Networking, a company that trains business leaders and MBA students. As the

conference begins, she straightens her name tag, pops an Altoid, and strides

into the crowd.

1

Don't go in cold

A week before the event, Darling asked one of the sponsors for a list of

attendees. "That way I could do a little research on people I want to meet

and use that information to break the ice with them," she explains. "Are

these people entrepreneurs? CEOs? VCs? I try to know as much as I can about

the crowd before going."

2

Travel light

Darling wears a tasteful red jacket. "There are a bazillion blue suits here.

I stand out in this jacket-but not in a bad way." She carries only a leather

portfolio, about twice the size of a wallet, with two pockets: one for

business cards coming in, the other for cards going out. No fumbling.

3

Walk the walk

She moves through the concourse confidently, smiling. "Young people tend to

act like beggars when they schmooze for jobs. But that sends the wrong

signal. Powerful people come to these events because they want to meet other

skilled, talented people. So carry yourself accordingly. Don't fold your

arms. Look like you're having a good time."

4

Start with breakfast

Darling's first stop is the long breakfast buffet-but not because she's

hungry. "People tend to be very accessible around the food. Talking and

eating go together. It's a great way to get started at an event," she says,

carrying her orange juice in her left hand so she can shake with her right.

5

Who's who

To scope out the crowd and pick her targets from the hundreds of attendees,

Darling circles the large room once, quickly scanning name tags. "Don't read

name tags while talking to people. Always maintain eye contact." Besides,

sideways glances make you look furtive and shifty.

6

Approach VIPs first

Darling darts over to one of the morning's guest speakers, a Harvard

Business School professor, 15 minutes before his presentation starts.

"Keynote speakers love to talk and can be great contacts, but after they

give their speeches they're always swamped."

7

Spot the lone wolves

The room is crowded, so Darling next looks for people who are standing

alone. "It's harder to integrate into a group. Besides, individual contact

is best; one-on-one makes for the most effective networking. Just make sure

you smile as you approach."

8

"And you are?"

She approaches a man near the podium and very briefly tells him why she's at

the conference. "Hi. I'm here because I founded Effective Networking. We

train people how to build their businesses and careers," she says to the

guy. "My name is Diane Darling." She says her name at the end so he's more

likely to remember it.

9

Press the flesh

When meeting others, she's the first to extend her hand. "It's an old

protocol, a sign that you're eager to interact," she says later. Also: Make

sure to shake hands good-bye, especially if you're a woman. "It's not as

natural a part of a woman's repertoire as it is of a man's, so a good-bye

handshake will be memorable."

10

Feel 'em out

While talking with strangers, Darling asks open-ended questions to determine

quickly whether they'll be of any help. "Don't go into a polished 20-second

commercial about yourself. Real leaders are curious. You're trying to pass

the test as a personable human being first and as a talented job candidate

second."

11

Card exchange

Darling asks everyone she meets for a business card before she offers her

own. "It's less presumptuous."

12

Get an introduction

After traversing the room twice, she spots the conference moderator, a

player in the Boston media world. He's alone drinking coffee, but rather

than approach him solo, she enlists a mutual acquaintance to give her an

introduction. "An intro is like an implicit endorsement, and the next time

we meet, there will be that association and that context."

13

Give and take

The moderator mentions that he's looking to get in touch with a professor at

MIT whom Darling happens to know. She offers to make an introduction.

"Always try to be a connector, the person who brings people together," she

says. This not only makes Darling looked tapped in but may also make the

moderator want to return her favor.

14

That's a wrap

After three hours, Darling has talked with around two dozen new contacts.

She leaves the conference with plans to call these leads in the next week.

"Remember, you're not there to close deals or get a job. You're there to get

the right to follow up with a phone call or a meeting over coffee. Even one

contact like that makes the whole day worthwhile."

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2002 issue of MBA

Jungle.

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Cincinnati, OH 45208
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