WholeLife Matrix: Relationships

“I’m definitely a people person. I love socializing and being around people and having a good conversation.” ― Emily Deschanel

In-person events have been found to be one of the most effective forms of marketing, so learning how to work a room can be very valuable for building your relationships and business.  Whether you are at a networking event, meeting, or seminar, knowing how to effectively use your time to find and interact with the people you want to connect with is invaluable. 

Before going to an event, you should determine if it is the right event for what your goals are.  Will you meet the people you want to meet at the event you are thinking about attending, or would another event be a better choice?  Determine what you want to achieve at the event.  Perhaps you want to meet new people in a specific field, get new contacts to build up your network, meet a specific person, or find potential clients. 

To prepare for the event you are going to, wear something memorable that makes you feel confident.  When you enter the room, smile and be open and friendly.  When you appear friendly, people will be more likely to approach you for a conversation.  Use positive body language throughout the event.  Greet people with a firm handshake while smiling and maintaining eye contact.

You should always attempt to find and greet the host of the event and ask if there is anything you can help with.  This is common courtesy and speaking with the host can also give you more information about the event and who is attending.  The host may also be able to introduce you to people you want to meet.

You should spend some time speaking with people you already know to catch up on things, but much of your time should be allotted to speaking to new people and making new connections.  You can find individuals or groups of people to speak to who look open to having someone join them. 

To join a conversation, you can simply say “Hi” and introduce yourself.   To get a conversation started, you can immediately find common ground by talking about something that everyone can relate to. You might ask questions about the event, why others are there and what they are trying to accomplish, where they are from, whether they know the organizer, or how they like the food and location of the event.

You should be prepared with plenty of business cards for the event but, use them efficiently, only giving them out to people who are interested in having one, those who you have created a good connection with, or those who could really benefit from your card, which is your target audience. 

Lastly, you can create good karma by helping others without accepting anything in return.  As Anne Frank said “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

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