Networking in Tampa

How comfortable do you suppose a baby deer would be in a den full of wolves?

I thought this was about networking Dave.

Well I was about to present a networking tip when suddenly I realized that I was about as qualified to dole out networking tips as a baby deer is at negotiating itself out of a room full of wolves.

Rosemary and I attended a Less Than Six Degrees networking event the other evening at Cheap in South Tampa. Take a guess who is more uncomfortable at a networking event than a baby deer is at... So, as I settled in to an evening of daveawkwardness, I did what I always do - I watched other people. 

I should say, prior to slipping into full blown daveawkwardness, a few of the event's hosts introduced themselves to us and made us feel most welcome. Rosemary is not a social misfit. So as she begins to talk to people I look for cover and begin to observe.

The first thing I notice is how many people are at this event. A lot. A friendly atmosphere courses through the room. This speaks volumes about the organizers. I've been to other events where a much colder crowd prevailed.  While there were probably some affluent people there, the general sense that I got about the average attendee was that of a middle class professional in age groups all over the spectrum. 

The second thing I notice are the smart phones and the skill in which people whip them out, dial into a screen, balance their drink and use them, and use them over the din of the music and in the close proximity of others. 

Here is my tip for folks like me. Look around the room for others who appear to be as uncomfortable as you. Suck it up, walk over to them and welcome them to the event. This will break the ice for you and will make them feel more at ease. They'll think you're an old timer. When you tell them that it's your first time there you'll all get a good laugh.

Next time I'm at one of these events, I'll get Rosemary to do this and then I'll report back to you.

By the way, all proceeds from the Less Than Six Degrees event were donated to All Children's Hospital. Very cool.

Comments

[Steve Sherlock]

One way I heard and have been practicing is this: When you run a party at your house, invite a few friends over; they may bring one or more of their friends you don't already know. But it is your house, you walk up, introduce yourself, and make them feel at home.

Try this approach on the larger room. They may all be strangers but you (in your mind) invited them all here; do the same thing. Introduce yourself, find out about them, and make them feel at home.

Soon each conversation will take time, soon you won't be able to make it all around the room (Why should you?).

At the end of the event, you'll have had a few real good conversations and collected some new friends that you may meet at the next event.

And yes, it still takes practice. Otherwise they'd call it 'neteasy' not networking!

[Dave Rothacker]

Great advice Steve.