'Tis
the season for holiday parties! Whether you're looking for a job or looking to
make contacts in your field, holiday parties are a great way to build your
professional network. And networking is
really just another form of communication - so here are five guidelines for how
to communicate/network successfully at holiday parties:
1.
Have
a Plan
Before you decide to attend an event, focus on
your purpose for attending. Is there
anyone in particular that you'd like to meet, or information that you are
looking to gather? Will you share with people that you are in the market for a
new job, or are looking for new clients? Having a plan will make it easier for
you to focus your attention and make it more likely that you will be
successful.
2.
Listen
Good networkers listen more than they
talk. Resist the urge to dominate the
conversation with tales of your professional prowess or your favorite (and
lengthy) holiday anecdote. Ask
open-ended questions; these questions often begin with "how" or
"what" and require more than a "yes/no" answer. And then actually listen to the answers. Demonstrate that you are listening by your
non-verbal communications, for example, by making eye contact.
3.
Everything
in Moderation
Whether it's sponsored by your company or the
local professional association, a holiday party is not the place to sample all
the free booze you can swallow or stuff yourself with the free shrimp. You are there to meet and greet people and
you can do that best when you are sober and focused on people, not the bar or
buffet table. In fact, I recommend that
you have a snack before you go to the party so you're not starving (which helps
if you're dieting, too).
4.
Be
Confident
If you hate networking and are uncomfortable schmoozing
with people, recognize that many others feel just as uncomfortable as you
do. Reach out to them and they'll be
grateful – and you may just make a great professional connection!
Another way to network confidently is to
"tag team" the event with a colleague. You both attend and each of you talks about
the other person's accomplishments. For
example, I attended an awards event with a colleague who had won an award the
previous year – it was far easier for me to introduce her and say, "Have
you met Lisa? She won last year's award," than for her to say, "Hi,
I'm Lisa and I won last year's award."
If you do tag team, be careful not to spend all your time just talking
to your tag team partner or people you already know well, which defeats the
purpose of networking.
5.
Follow
Up
If you meet someone interesting, make a
decision to follow up within a few days with a quick call or email. It can be as simple as an email or LinkedIn
invitation that references your conversation, such as, "I enjoyed meeting
you at the Chamber of Commerce party yesterday and discussing our children's
college search process." Unless you schedule time in your calendar for
following up with your contacts, you will have a stack of business cards on
your desk that will only collect dust.
If
you follow these five holiday networking tips, you'll be able to communicate
effectively and build your professional network. And having a strong network will be useful no
matter what the future brings.