{"id":2235,"date":"2022-09-26T14:43:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T18:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/?p=2235"},"modified":"2022-09-26T14:43:37","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T18:43:37","slug":"returning-to-live-events-this-fall-know-the-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/2022\/09\/26\/returning-to-live-events-this-fall-know-the-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to Live Events This Fall? Know \u201cThe Rules\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Mary Crane<\/a><\/p>\n

The following rules will help anyone successfully navigate a reception or networking event.<\/p>\n

Introduce yourself.<\/strong>\u00a0 Introducing yourself is the most important thing you\u2019ll do at any event.\u00a0 State your name and provide a descriptor, your own 30-second commercial that tells others something about who you are and what you do. Introduce yourself in a way that helps you become memorable. If you have a unique last name, know that you have a special advantage\u2014you\u2019re immediately memorable. Give others a clue that will help them pronounce your name. For example, my family name is RYCZEK. Before I married, I introduced myself by saying, \u201cI\u2019m Mary Ryczek, like check and re-check your work.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Handshakes.<\/strong>\u00a0 Unless you\u2019re certain the other person you\u2019re about to meet prefers a handshake, it\u2019s safest to simply ask, \u201cDo you prefer handshakes or fist bumps these days?\u201d\u00a0<\/em> If you\u2019ve recently been exposed to anyone dealing with COVID, a cold, or the flu, don\u2019t hesitate to say, \u201cEveryone in our house is getting over a nasty cold, and I\u2019d hate to pass it on. Would you mind if we skip the handshake?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Arrive at the event.<\/strong>\u00a0 Arrive on time. Once you\u2019ve thanked the host or hostess for the invitation, go to the bar, get a beverage, wrap the beverage in a napkin, and carry it in your left hand. Holding the beverage will help you look approachable. Carrying it in your left hand will ensure your right is available for a handshake or fist bump. Avoid grabbing a beverage and food at the same time.\u00a0 Always keep one hand available to greet others.<\/p>\n

Use the Buddy System.<\/strong>\u00a0 Whenever possible, attend receptions and networking events with another person. The two of you can then \u201cdivide and conquer\u201d the room\u2014one of you can go to one side of the room and introduce yourself to various people while the other goes to the opposite side and does the same thing. Halfway through the event, you and your buddy can reconnect and compare notes, for example, \u201cI just ran into the CEO of new biotech startup. You should really meet her.\u201d<\/em> You can also pre-arrange a rescue signal for those times when you desperately need some help to exit a conversation.<\/p>\n

Find an Approachable.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you need to attend an event solo, and if you don\u2019t immediately recognize any of the other guests, introduce yourself to \u201can approachable,\u201d a person standing alone typically around the edges of the room.\u00a0 They\u2019ll welcome the conversation.\u00a0 Don’t forget, at any event you never know who you’ll meet and the doors they might open for you.\u00a0 Every approachable can become a valuable contact.<\/p>\n

Nametags.<\/strong>\u00a0 Always place your name tag on the right side of your outfit.\u00a0 When you extend your right hand for a handshake or a fist bump, your name will move into the other person\u2019s line of vision increasing the likelihood that others will remember it. (It\u2019s estimated that 65% of the population are visual learners\u2014people who need to see a name to remember it.)<\/p>\n

Remember Names.<\/strong>\u00a0 Beyond looking at someone\u2019s nametag, LISTENING is the other key to remembering names.\u00a0 When meeting someone for the first time, stop and carefully listen to the name and descriptor. Try to repeat the name immediately and associate it with something or someone else. For example, if we just met, you might say, \u201cIt\u2019ll be easy to remember the name Mary. That\u2019s my mom\u2019s first name. And you said Crane, like the stationery company?\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Break & Enter.<\/strong>\u00a0 When you wish to enter a group conversation, approach the group and spend a minute or two listening. After another person in the group makes a statement or asks a question, take half a step forward and say, \u201cExcuse me. My name is Mary Crane, and may I ask\u2026.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 At this point you have successfully become a part of the conversation.<\/p>\n

Exit Conversations.<\/strong>\u00a0 When you are ready to move onto another conversation, tell the other person how much you enjoyed meeting him\/her and move on. This is the ideal time to ask if they have a business card or take down their contact information. Then grab a bite to eat, freshen your drink, and look for your next conversation.<\/p>\n

Follow up.\u00a0 Follow up.\u00a0 Follow up.<\/strong>\u00a0 After every event, go through the business cards you have collected, enter them into a data base (a personal spreadsheet or your organization\u2019s client relationship management system), and send a quick email or call the three people you met who you\u2019re most interested in building a relationship with. The one thing that distinguishes great networkers from everyone else is their commitment to following up with the people they meet and then staying in touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe NEW Rules of Engagement\u201d includes rules on making connections over Zoom and more rules for managing business meals, including what to order, what to avoid (if you\u2019re wearing a white shirt or blouse, pasta with red sauce is an invitation to disaster), and how to always know which bread-and-butter plate belongs to you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Mary Crane The following rules will help anyone successfully navigate a reception or networking event. Introduce yourself.\u00a0 Introducing yourself is the most important thing you\u2019ll do at any event.\u00a0 State your name and provide a descriptor, your own 30-second commercial that tells others something about who you are and what you do. Introduce yourself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2177,"featured_media":602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29934,1151],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-from-students-and-alumni","category-networking"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/files\/2016\/08\/Curtis-Danielle.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2236,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2235\/revisions\/2236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/richmondlawcdo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}