Creative Holiday Networking
The holidays are right around the corner. So of course you ordered your thank you gifts already right? C'mon, get on that! :)
Not sure if you've noticed but there are many more networking activities these days. There's structured groups, spin off groups, philanthropy based groups, women's groups, and more, that's all good! But are you making the most of the opportunities that present themselves at these groups? Are you hosting your own? Here's some quick tips that will work for the holidays and all year long too! Have fun!
1. Invite a colleague to go with you to an event. You can divide and conquer, introducing people to each other and then sharing cards and contacts at the end of the evening.
2. Attend as many events as you can and bring a supply of business cards. The more events you attend, the more involved people will see you are and the more times you will have to make an impression, and while sometimes it’s the same people, that’s even better – remember, it takes multiple times before people commit things to memory.
3. Put a small colorful holiday sticker on your card, it will make your card stand out, and then indicate a holiday discount on the back expiring in January when they mention the event where you met.
4. Host your own holiday cocktail mixer. You don’t need to pay for people’s drinks or food, just invite them and anyone who attends can put their business card into a basket to win a $100 gift card to whatever.
5. Write the date and where you met on the back of everyone’s card as well as any common people you know, etc. for follow up.
6. Install an app like CamCard on your phone. This will allow you to immediately (or later on) scan people’s cards, back and front and store all the information about them including anything you write on the card as well as where you met and even group them by categories. It will also seamlessly upload to your contact database!
7. Make it your goal to find people who….. have the same hobby, drive the same car, have kids the same age…. By having these few things in your mind, you will be automatically start asking people more questions than you would if you didn’t. You’ll also be finding common interests leading to more conversation!
8. Purchase $5.00 Starbucks (or other retailer) gift cards to hand out with your card to those who you really want to remember you. They will.
9. For post-holiday blues in January, plan a cocktail mixer when people are feeling down and invite all the folks you met in December!
10. Hand out keys at every event you attend attached to your business cards along with a date, time and place for your January Treasury Box Post-Holiday Mixer. Be sure the prize is a really good one! Or make it a mystery prize to keep people in suspense.
And of course, don’t drink too much! You don’t want to be the “over served” guest at the party! For more tips and info, visit my website at www.gmgpr.com