Connections - February 2009 - (Page 27)

when speaking with others in order to be assertive. Being assertive is important when dealing with various other types of behavior including passive/aggressive, passive and aggressive. If at any point during the mixer, you’re going to be speaking in front of a larger group of people, Starr advises this Rule of Thumb for body posture and garnering attention. “Never blow into the microphone or tap on it to gain people’s attention. Instead quietly whisper, ‘shhh shhh’ and wait until the people quiet down. Once you have their attention and begin your speech, pay careful attention to your gesticulations. Use open-handed gestures and tailor them to suit your audience. Use small gestures for small audiences, medium gestures for medium sized audiences and grandiose gestures for large audiences,” said Starr. Try Starr’s skills at any or all of the following places to network: chamber events, leadership courses, religious organizations, clubs and advisory board or professional groups and you can begin to cultivate that elusive human quality that commands the attention of others. You can be the person with that elusive je ne sais quoi. ■ LOCAL PERSPECTIVE THE CONNECTOR GRAHAM SIDE Graham Side of ActionCOACH has maneuvered his way through a number of mixers in his 23 years of management experience. After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in education, he found he had a natural inclination to teach people how to build their business skills. He’s learned the key to successful networking is to begin preparing a long time before the mixer ever begins. How Side advises making the most of networking events: I always carry a heavy supply of business cards, a pen in my coat pocket and a goal in my head to meet as many people as I possibly can. From there, I am wary of the inclination to want to spend time with people I already know. After all, the reason why I’m at the networking event in the first place is to meet new people. Key to success in creating a great first impression: I always go out of my way to introduce myself to new people. Once I bump into someone new, I make sure to ask probing, but not personal questions about their business. I understand they’re going to pepper me with similar questions but I am always looking for ways to connect them with people I already know. The reason why I do this is because I believe if you build goodwill through dialogue you will be able to foster a long term connection with people and ultimately be able to do business with them. The best way to meet as many people as possible: Once I have the person’s business card, I simply tell them, “I have enjoyed learning about what you do and I look forward to speaking with you in the future.” Then, I’ll shake their hand and move onto the next person. Recommend a savvy business tip February 2009 | Connections | 27 http://www.assertiveness.com/ http://www.coachmybiz.com/index.asp http://bnibend.blogspot.com/2007/12/21-best-places-to-network-kathy-temple.html http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/04/networking-meeting-people-forbeslife-cx_sb_07networks_0504places.html

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Connections - February 2009 Letter from the Editor Table of Contents Passionate Calling The Bottom Dollar Spice of Life Member Directory Subscribe March Preview

Connections - February 2009

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