Business Networking Skills!
By Debra Fine
Learn how to make the most of meetings, interviews, and networking events or of entertaining clients at conventions, trade shows, and other work-related functions.
Do you dread receptions, banquets, and other business-related social events? Does attending another open house make you want to run inside your own and lock the door? You’re not alone. Many of us are apprehensive about these situations, because most of us either hate entering rooms where we don’t know anyone or hate spending time with people we don’t know well. Keeping a conversation going during such occasions is an ordeal.
But for business professionals, these occasions represent opportunities to develop business friendships and broaden networks. Whether you realize it or not, networking happens all the time. During an awkward social gathering, demanding sales presentation, or a tough interview, small talk can turn a challenging situation into a success. Small talk connects us, whether the setting is business or social.
Everyone learns the technical skills required for their jobs, but not everyone places importance on conversational skills. The ability to talk easily with anyone is a learned skill, not a personality trait. Acquiring it will help you develop rapport with people and leave a positive impression that lasts longer than an exchange of business cards.
Here are a few tips business professionals can use to improve their small-talk skills:
- Be the first to say hello!
- Introduce yourself. Act as if you’re the host and introduce new arrivals to your conversational partner or partners.
- Smile first and always shake hands when you meet anyone.
- Take your time during introductions! Make an extra effort to remember names, and use them frequently in the conversation.
- Maintain eye contact in any conversation. Many people in a group of three or more people look around in the hope that others will maintain eye contact on our behalf. But people don’t feel listened to if you’re not looking at them.
- Get somebody to talk about why they’re attending the event, and you are on your way to engaging them in conversation.
- Show an interest in every person. The more interest you show the wiser and attractive you become to others.
- Listen carefully for information that can keep the conversation going.
- Remember: People want to be with people who make them feel special, not people who are “special”. Take responsibility to help people you talk to feel as if they’re the only person in the room.
>Play the conversation game. When someone asks, “How’s business?” and “What’s going on?” Answer with more than “Pretty good” or “Not much”. Tell more about yourself so that others can learn more about you.
- Be careful with business acquaintances. You wouldn’t want to open a conversation with: “How’s your job at ________?” What if that person just got fired or laid off? Be careful when you’re asking about an acquaintance’s spouse or special friend; you could regret it.
- Don’t act like you’re an FBI agent. Questions like “What do you do?”, “Are you married?”, “Do you have children?”, and “Where are you from?” lead to dead-end conversations.
- Be aware of body language. Nervous or ill-at-ease people make others uncomfortable. Act confident and comfortable, even when you’re not.
- Be prepared. Spend a few minutes before an anticipated event preparing to talk easily about three topics. They will come in handy when you find yourself in the middle of an awkward moment... or while seated at a table of eight where everyone is playing with their food.
- Show an interest in your conversational partner’s opinion, too. You’re not the only person who has opinions about funding the space program or what will happen to the stock market.
- Stop conversation monopolists in their tracks. If possible, wait for the person to take a breath or to pause, then break in with a comment about their topic. Immediately redirect the conversation in the direction you wish it to go.
- Be prepared with exit lines. You need to move around and meet others.
- Don’t melt from conversations. Make a positive impression by shaking hands and saying goodbye as you leave.
Turn every conversation into an opportunity for success!
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Covers everything from icebreakers to exit lines. Building business, getting dates, making friends or landing jobs this book is guaranteed to improve conversational skills, mingling ability, and networking techniques.
All the same incredible content, in an all new format. Get
The Fine Art of Small Talk for Kindle!
Debra's January 2008 follow up book to her bestseller. The Fine Art of Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great Presentations, and Solve Conflicts at Work.
Feel more at ease at parties, banquets, receptions, and networking events. Use icebreakers that work every time. Engage anyone in conversation with poise and confidence.
NSA 15 Year Member National Speaker Association
Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Conversation Expert, Communication Guru, Nationally Recognized Spokesperson
Conversation Skills • Small Talk Tips • Mingling Skills • Business Networking Skills and Networking Tips
Debra Fine presents programs on conversation skills, business networking skills, and mingling skills for corporations, organizations and associations both across the country and internationally. Debra is a Denver, Colorado motivational speaker and trainer. Search no further for a Denver speaker or Rocky Mountain Keynote Speaker. Her keynote speeches and interactive workshops cover conversation skills, rapport building skills and networking skills and techniques and small talk tips that include icebreakers and conversation starters, listening skills, exit lines, introductions and even remembering names.
Debra Fine is a former enineer who developed her keynote presentation and workshop The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport and Leave a Positive Impression to teach conversation skills, business networking techniques and mingling tips for use at networking events, hospitality suites, trade shows and exhibit halls, membership meetings, conventions and conferences, and with clients, customers and patients during one on one interactions as well as banquets and other business social functions.
Copyright © 2009 Debra Fine, The Fine Art of Small Talk / All rights reserved 303-721-8266
Debra@DebraFine.com
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