Professional networking can be very tricky. If people often forget to be strategic when they network, they also forget these key facts:

  • No one likes a bad, moist or cold handshake. Hold your cold drink (eg. beer) with your non-handshaking hand.
  • There are 3 types of networkers.
    • The hyperactive networker: Driven to meet as many people as possible as fast as possible.
    • The passive networker: Rare objectives. Happy no matter how the evening goes.
    • The non-networker: There to see friends and colleagues. Not particularily interested in meeting new people.

    Learn to interact with them accordingly.

  • No one wants to feel stuck (with you, with me, with anybody). Don’t corner people; set a time limit when you meet. « Just very quickly, I wanted to see if… »
  • Smile. If a smile goes a long way, make sure you’re always smiling. Simple advice but, an honest smile can open doors and wallets.