Empower Your Presence: By Working a Room Like a Pro

As a professional, you can work the room like a professional.

People with presence seem to navigate a room with ease, stopping to talk with others for just the right amount of time before moving on.  However, a large majority of people avoid business mixers, fundraisers, and cocktail hours because they are uncomfortable with working a room, even though these occasions provide them with prime opportunities to meet new people and keep in touch with friends, colleagues, and clients – part of having true wealth. 

Over the years, I’ve asked professionals whether they enjoy events where they’ll be meeting others for the first time, and less than 5% of them answer in the affirmative, unless they’ve been in sales for many years and then the numbers rise to only 30%. The most common reasons involve maneuvering in and out of groups, introducing themselves and engaging in conversations. If you teeter on the threshold wondering why you agreed to attend an event, these strategies, along with a goal to put them into practice, will help you look forward to events that are teeming with interesting people and opportunities. Last week we looked at the top  ways to work a room. This week we round out the top 10.

6. Approaching people:
Avoid the tendency to gravitate to people you already know. Instead go up to a person who is standing on their own, or a group of more than two, because two people may be engaged in a private conversation and resent your intrusion.  Most individuals standing alone are thrilled to have someone to talk with.  When joining larger groups, look for open circles that have a space for you to fill and approach from an angle where you can make eye contact with someone to draw you into the group.

7. Become a host and break the ice:
Don’t wait for a proper introduction.  Break the ice with a friendly “hello,” extend your hand to give a warm, firm handshake, and introduce yourself with a very short self-introduction that focuses on the benefits you bring to clients, rather than what you do.    If those you meet are not comfortable with working a room, they will be grateful if you introduce them to others. 

8. Initiate small talk:
If conversing with strangers does not come easily, the stress of “making conversation” will disappear when you concentrate on asking others about themselves using open ended questions.  People always enjoy talking about their work, interests, and concerns, while you play the role of the attentive listener.  Consequently, they will come away from the experience with a positive feeling associated with meeting you.  If conversation seems to be slowing down the phrase “Please tell me more” will give you a few minutes to look for a lead-in to another topic.

9. Focus on contacts, not contracts:
In the short time that a reception or mixer affords, your goal should be to make meaningful contacts, not close deals. Also, in order to achieve your goal to meet new people, after about ten minutes, you need to break away.  While you are talking, start to summarize the conversation you’ve had and then say something like, “I’m sure there are others here you’d like to meet.”  If they say yes, continue with, “I look forward to seeing you next time,” or “Enjoy the rest of the event.”  If you’d like to find out more about your new acquaintance, or if you believe that you have valuable contacts for them, ask if you can continue the conversation at another time and exchange contact information.  If you’ve been speaking to someone on their own and the person appears to be concerned about being released into the crowd, take them with you to meet others.

10. Follow up quickly
When you return to your office, immediately review the business cards you collected and make notes.  If you promised to give someone information or you asked to meet with them again, follow through or arrange to have coffee or lunch.  A telephone call will be more personal than an email and it will give you an added opportunity to assess their level of interest.  Sending a new contact a note or e-mail saying that you enjoyed meeting them will also increase your top-of-mind awareness.

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