Are You a Player or Spectator?
Know How to Work a Room
To be a player you must have the tools and confidence to work a room.
Working a room is the ability to circulate comfortably and graciously through a gathering of people. It is meeting, greeting and talking with as many people as you wish; creating communication that is warm and sincere; establishing an honest rapport upon which you can build a relationship; and knowing how to start, continue, maintain and end lively and interesting conversations.
The whole process can be a little intimidating. It is a little risky putting your ego on the line. It can also be tremendously rewarding. Working a room expands mere contacts into personal and professional relationships that can enrich your business and sometimes your personal life. The benefits of working the room like player, with ease and grace are enormous. The top 10 benefits are…
- You are perceived as powerful, comfortable and in control
- You approach business and social gatherings with enthusiasm and confidence
- You have the opportunity to make invaluable contacts and life long relationships
- You make other people feel comfortable which makes them want to know and possibly do business with you
- You establish communication/connections/rapport
- You increase your resource base and number of referrals and potential clients
- You gain insight and learn new information
- You enhance your business image and income
- You strengthen your career opportunities
- You have a lot of fun meeting great people
Every business gathering is a networking opportunity and should be viewed as another chance at the big game. Consequently, you must decide what your role in the big game is –spectator or player.
Successful business people always come prepared to play. Take one look around at the next business party you attend. You’ll notice the people who are most comfortable, the ones who are making the most of the social or business opportunities available and actually having fun at it. The players speak to strangers effortlessly, as if already acquainted. They always say the right thing and know everybody -- or so it seems. They work a room.
Players know how to make a stranger a contact, a contact a resource, a resource a business relationship, a business relationship a win-win for both players.
There is nothing manipulative or calculating about working a room if you genuinely care about people and your warmth, openness and desire to connect with them is genuine. If you try working people instead of working the room, people will sense this and know they are being manipulated. They know the difference between you making a sincere effort to extend yourself and when you trying to “get over” to get ahead. Remember that it works both ways. Each of us has something to offer the other. Working a room is an important marketing strategy and is one of the best advertising techniques you can master.
Be a player and make networking a source of greater pleasure and satisfaction for you and for your contacts! Know the dos and don’ts of working a room and the next time you show up for a networking event be a player and not a spectator! Let me know some of your networking challenges by emailing me at 4etiquette@optonline.net.
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