You should already have a good message for holiday business networking events. If not, we should talk. But what about holiday social events? How can you bring up business while still honoring the event?
It’s simple. Find a compelling success story to talk about. People at end-of-year events will often ask some variation on “So how are things with you?” Answer with something good that happened this year.
Are you in business? Then talk about a fun, significant business success. Maybe a client did well because of you. Or you landed that dream contract. Go ahead. Brag a little!
Are you a job seeker? Well then talk about a promising job lead. Or a great interview (informational or otherwise). Maybe you could mention how you’ve narrowed (or widened) your search.
Like with any good story, it should be compelling enough to encourage the other person to say “Tell me more.” Voila! You just got permission to talk a bit more business at the social event.
But remember to honor the event, like I discussed yesterday. Don’t go on and on. Keep it short and fun. If your audience is really interested in learning more, arrange a follow up meeting over lunch or coffee.
Tomorrow I’ll talk about some ways to legitimately exchange cards or contact info at a social event. It can be done and done right.
Tags: Elevator Speech, Networking
Nice. These are great practical suggestions. We find that many of the salespeople we’ve studied are quite nervous and clueless about how to get the most out of networking meetings. – I’m one of those people. It’s great to have a little mini-sales talk to bring up business. Well done too with the timely message.
Take the Stairs,
Rory Vaden
Rory, Thanks for commenting. I used to be one of those people. I learned by doing (and by making a lot of mistakes), and I’m having a blast bringing what I learned to others.