Professional Networking League Blog

The Situation:  You’re in a room of people you don’t know. You quickly identify the benefit of getting to know most of the people in the room. How comfortable are you approaching a stranger and introducing yourself?  It is common for people to be apprehensive in this circumstance. The problem isn’t being nervous; the problem is being paralyzed by your apprehension. There are  8  basic steps to the self-introduction.  Smile. The physical act of smiling will assist you in overcoming the discomfort. Your smile will communicate so much long before you speak a word. Your smile will generate enthusiasm; for you and for the person you are about to meet.  Move. Get out of the entrance and away from the exterior. Be willing to literally bump into people. Be where the people are.  Opening line. Have a phrase that opens the conversation. “Hello. I don’t know you yet. I’m ______.” Or create your own. Be very comfortable with it. If you need to rehearse, do so....

If we want respect we must constantly strive to be punctual. Tardiness erodes esteem, appreciation, and regard. Habitually being “on time” shows reliability, dependability, and discipline. Reliability When others know you’re punctual to your appointments they begin to predict their interactions with you. After they predict accurately over time they see you as steady and stable.  Careful though, folks may begin to depend on you. Dependability When you are consistently on time don’t expect celebrations. Punctuality anchors subconsciously in others’ minds. They don’t wonder if you’ll be present. They will conclude, without thought, you are also trustworthy and will accomplish all your commitments. This conclusion develops over time into loyalty to you and your commitments. Discipline When we gaze through the small window we have into another’s life we quickly draw conclusions. When people recognize you as being disciplined to your time commitments they often jump to the conclusion you...

Do you feel as though your memory sucks? Do you tend to forget people’s names? Well, you are not alone. Most people feel as though their memories are not working the way it should, and they'll say things like, “I’m not good at names.”  It's likely more accurate to say, "I'm average at remembering names." No one has a perfect memory. Your ability for name memory is a very complex thing, and it can be difficult to understand how it really works. Here are 5 secrets to improving name memory. 1. Certain events can cause you to remember, or not remember, names. Your interpretation of a situation will impact your memory. The way you feel about a person, a situation, or a result can alter your desire to remember. When you are involved in an emotional incident, you may remember the others involved in different ways. Your brain has the ability to block out unpleasant things when it wants to. This is known as a coping mechanism and helps your brain deal with what may be harm...

If you are attending networking meetings with the intent to sell your product or service, you have set yourself up for disappointment. The pathway to success lies in seeking introductions, not sales. When you attend a networking event neither you nor the other networkers intend to endure a sales pitch from other attendees. Recognizing this nugget of wisdom changes the way you interact during networking situations. For the purpose of this article, let’s go with the idea you are attending a networking event where you know only one person, the individual who invited you, and that person is not the host. You should prepare for these Nine powerful situations. Each of the situations contains the opportunity to increase your influence. You are going to recite your elevator speech a number of times. Know your answer to the question, “What do you do?” You will be asked several times. Make sure your answer is concise and generates an increased interest in you and what you do. You are going to n...