Sometimes you just can’t make this stuff up. While attending an event last month I found myself talking with someone who, after several minutes into our conversation, said, “You know, I almost wasn’t going to come tonight. The last time I was here I just stood by myself and no one came up to talk to me.” That’s like showing up at a gym and just looking at all the workout equipment, then deciding to drop your membership because nothing happened.
Attending any event requires your active participation. You will never attain the success you are after as a “wall flower.” You must be prepared to engage others in a discussion and the best way to do that is to ask others about themselves. Questions like:
- what they do for a living
- why are they at the event
- who invited them
- have they been before
- what do they know about the organization hosting the event
This first step will certainly “break the ice” and start the conversation. Genuine curiosity of others will certainly engage. It will open doors you never thought to open and create relationships from which to build your credibility, confidence and connectedness. Taking that first step and initiating the handshake is all it takes to start the process of building your business. Stop waiting and start doing – today.
Pam Rezai
Sr. Marketing Director