Networking

Merry Mingling!
Thursday, December 8th
Babs’ Underground Lounge
213 S Ashley Street
Enter through the double wooden doors between Vie Fitness & Spa and Three Chairs.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

4:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Cost: $15

Premier Sponsor:

Ring in the season with other women business leaders at WXW’s annual holiday mixer. This event offers non-stop networking, savory hors d’oeuvres, and tasty wine & beer. At 5:30 PM we will offer a celebratory toast to our attendees’ accomplishments in 2011.

Again this year, we will be supporting the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan.  If you would like to participate, please bring a donation of  non-perishable food items to our event.  For more information about ways to support Women’s Center, please visit:

http://womenscentersemi.org/how_you_can_help  

Do you dread receptions, banquets, and other business-related social events? Do you struggle to make meaningful, long-term connections at work? You’re not alone. Many of us are apprehensive about these situations, because most of us either loathe entering rooms where we don’t know anyone or dislike spending time with people we don’t know well. With a little practice and use of these helpful tips, you’ll be building relationships one conversation at a time.

1. Introduce and initiate. Go ahead and initiate with a hello! Even if you recognize, or slightly know someone, re-introduce yourself. By taking ownership and initiating a conversation, you will feel more in control to drive the direction of the exchange.




2. Use an icebreaker. An icebreaker not only provides a way to meet new people, but also helps jumpstart conversations. For example, using an icebreaker such as “Tell me about the type of work your firm is involved in” instead of simply saying “hello” can lead to a fruitful conversation, rather than an uncomfortable silence. Some other valuable icebreakers you might use are:

- “Bring me up to date on your latest project.”
   - “What do you find to be the most enjoyable aspect of your job?”
   - “Tell me about your history with ________.”
   - “How did you come to find yourself in the health care field?”




3. Express interest and make an effort. You have to be interested if you want to be interesting. Part of your job as a convers-ee is to get the other person to talk. Listen to what your conversational partner is saying and ask relevant follow-up questions. Take cues from them and make a mental list of questions you can ask to get them to elaborate. If you’re talking to Mary in the marketing department, ask what she’s working on, what the new marketing strategies are. This is a great way to brainstorm about future projects, find out about potential clients or build a lasting business relationship. That being said, be sure not to ask so many questions that you come off as an interrogator. There should be a flow and balance when communicating.




4. Overcome pregnant pauses. It’s up to you to keep the conversation going if there are some uncomfortable pauses. Use your setting for ideas to reinvigorate the discussion. Say, “It’s great having our sales conference in a warm, tropical place. Have you been to Mexico before?” Use pauses as an opportunity to compliment your international counterpart. Try, “I’m impressed with what you’re doing for our Asian business. You’ve made some huge improvements in our technology department over there.” This is also a great time to interject with any material you’ve previously prepared.




5. Establish personal boundaries. It is fine if you want to let someone know where you went to college or how many children you have, but be mindful of how much personal information you provide. Sure, your relationship could benefit if you find out both your husbands are attorneys, but evaluate the value of the subject matter and its impact on the rapport. If the dialogue gets too sidetracked into personal details, the business-networking angle can become lost. Revealing too many personal details in a business setting can be inappropriate. Use your best judgment to maximize the content of the conversation.




6. Exit thoughtfully. In many business situations, it’s important to make contact with several people and move around a room. And, sometimes there is just a good time to move on. Find an appropriate point in the conversation to make an exit. Say, “I really enjoyed talking to you about today’s meeting. I have your card and I’ll be in touch with you this week so we can discuss it further.” Make a plan that is actionable and give a specific time when you’ll follow up. Most importantly, if you say you’re going to do something, do it!

About the Author:
Debra Fine is a former engineer who developed her programs to teach technically oriented professionals conversational skills and business networking techniques. Debra’s programs are held regularly for Fortune 500 firms as well as financial, legal, health care, real estate, government, engineering and entrepreneurial organizations. Her best selling book The Fine Art of Small Talk (Hyperion) was published to excellent reviews and feature stories in USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Chicago Tribune. Debra’s new book The Fine Art of the Big Talk focuses on winning clients, delivering great presentations and solving conflicts in the workplace. Her recent media appearances include the Today Show, the Early Show, CNN and NPR Morning Edition. Additional information about Debra can be viewed at www.DebraFine.com.

Debra Fine is the Keynote Speaker at WXW’s dynamic, all-day May Forum for women business leaders on Friday, May 20th. Register before Friday, May 6th to receive the early bird discount!

The Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw (WXW) and the Women Lawyer’s Association of Michigan(WLAM) are hosting a networking event on Thursday, April 21st. To help ease the anxiety of networking, listed below are 5 helpful tips.

1. Be prepared! Bring your business cards, name tag, schedule/calendar, pen and anything else you may need.
2. Act like the host. Pretend the event is your own party and be there early. Be sure you know where the food/drinks are as well as the bathrooms, so you can help others find them. In other words, be the hostess with the most-ess.
3. Talk less and listen more! Remember, you are here to create a network of relationships not a commercial for your business or services. Be sure to ask questions and engage in conversation.
4. Don’t do business at the event! This is the time for you to make connections, set up an appointment to do business after the event when you follow-up.
5. Be a connector. A good networker is generous, and helps to introduce others. Being known as a connector is very powerful. People want to connect with the connector.