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ARE YOU A NETWORKING FOOL?
With the holidays upon us — and loads of parties, special events, and networking opportunities looming in the weeks ahead — it's time to examine our networking techniques.
Are you a shallow, superficial networker who turns people off?
Or are you an approachable, likable person who's genuinely interested in others — whether they can directly help your business or not?
Consider some of the "networking fools" we meet at any given business function:
The Schmoozer
This is the person who approaches as many people as possible, shakes their hands, asks what they do, feigns interest, and requests a business card so he can follow up to "network" or ask if they know of any jobs or people he can talk to.
The Great Pretender
This networker pretends to listen to you, yet is casing the room for more — perhaps "better" — people to apprehend. When she scores that precious business card, she's off and running to the next victim.
Another type of pretender acts interested until she hears what business you're in and concludes you're of little use to her.
The Perfection Seeker
This individual lives and breathes the axiom, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," and buzzes his way through networking events in search of the perfect contact. In the process, he ignores the human being in front of him — and misses out on a lot of great, meaningful and potentially lucrative connections.
It's easy to be a networking fool, and many of us unwittingly fall into that shallow-networker trap. After all, there's very little time and so many people to meet at any given business function.
But let's remember to give people more credit: When you approach someone, be warm, friendly, and above all, genuine. Avoid meaningless schmoozing. Steer clear of the wandering-eye routine. It's better to spend more time with fewer people and create a lasting bond than to "work the room" and risk losing the respect of your colleagues.
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