Plan for the Event or Flounder
By Bette Daoust
Rather than being there to eat the food and drink
the drinks, planning before attending an event will change your view.
Have you ever attended an event and seen all the people
gravitating towards the food and the drinks? That is the first thing
people seem to go for. Well, it is natural, especially if you are
there alone and do not know anyone.
It seems that food and drink are there for comfort.
It is really difficult to talk to anyone with a mouthful, so if you
can, stay away from the food, but certainly go and get a drink. You
can still give your pitch with a drink in hand.
Take a look at your calendar before you head off to
one of these events. You will need to know from memory when you are
free for a follow-up appointment. This is part of the preparation
you need to do before getting there. Then you can make a date and
know there is no conflict with other items on your agenda.
Nothing is worse than setting an appointment and finding
out that you already have scheduled someone else in that time slot.
It may seem like a good excuse for a follow up, but it usually does
not bode well with a potential client.
You do not want to partake of any conversation that
is whining about some guy that can never get anything straight. Just
remember that you are at the event for one purpose and one purpose
alone - it is not to eat and drink - it is to gain new business relationships
and maybe cement some of the existing ones you have.
The more visible you are and the more prepared you
are, then the more likely someone will want to talk to you. You should
also plan on how to get into private conversations without barging
in and losing the flow of information.
Have you ever gone to an event and not worn the correct
attire? Part of planning an event (seeing who will be attending) is
to also research the nature of the event. Does the weather have an
effect on who attends?
Does the required dress have an effect on where it
is held? Who will be leading the event and how are they regarded?
What attitude does the event portray?
It all comes down to knowing your audience and researching
the event before you attend.
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others
since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really
cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and
excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention,
be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people
to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and
colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprint
for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first
in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways
to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information
visit http://BlueprintBooks.com
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