In last week’s post I spoke about maximizing one’s effectiveness at holiday networking events. The primary message was as follows:
- Time is short. Be strategic! The objective is to meet influential people, gain their interest, and schedule a follow-on meeting.
- If the event is for business networking, stay focused on business. If the event is a social gathering, be sociable.
- Remember to thank the host before leaving, and later, send a thank you note.
This week I had an opportunity to take my own advice as I holiday networking events on Tuesday and Thursday. Both were scheduled between at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. They were open house come-and-go-as-you-please events. On Tuesday I attended the CFO Round Table event. Thursday’s event was hosted by an Investment Advisor who hosts a monthly Lunch With Four Interesting People, (LW4IP). I wrote about the latter group in September. Of course, each event reflected the host’s personality and networking strategy.
There were many similarities between the two events. Neither required a cover charge, and both provided an ample selection of luscious hors-d’oeuvres. Beer and wine were served at one, and the other was wine only, a Cabernet and a Chardonnay. Of course, one could enjoy sparkling water if preferred. They were held in different types of venues and included a different mix of people.
The CFO group was overtly business-related. The members of this group pay an annual fee and meet periodically throughout the year. Although I let my membership lapse, I was invited as a guest of the moderator. The attendees were coming from work, so they
The LW4IP event was meant to be more social than overtly professional. The attendees were a more diverse group, both by gender and age, sporting a wider range of attire. I must say, the ladies were much more stylish. The gentlemen, on the other hand, ranged from very casual to professional business attire. As I am more old-school, I decided to dress more businesslike. For the event with the CFOs, I wore traditional gray flannel slacks and a blue camel hair blazer. No tie, however. For the event on Thursday, I went full ‘Brooks Brothers,’ complete with a white pocket square and a popular red necktie. I say popular as I received a few compliments on my tie, including one from a lovely young lady. I wore a white cotton dress shirt with French cuffs for each event. It’s my signature look. My mother impressed on me as a young man, that it is always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. While I wasn’t overdressed, I did make a positive impression.
My plan for the CFO event was focused on my Executive Search Business, as much of that work involves CFO searches. The Thursday event gave me an opportunity to talk about the consulting part of my business, ITB Partners. Surprisingly, there were a lot of freelancers attending the LW4IP reception.
As I reflect on these events, I did a respectable job of taking my own advice. I had a plan and executed it well. I focused on getting know others with less talk about me. I enjoyed the food and beverages in moderation. I collected a lot of business cards and distributed many of my own. I expanded my network, and plan to renew my membership with The CFO Round-table.
Each event was well executed and well-attended. The CFO group was impacted somewhat by weather and traffic issues in the Atlanta area, however. I enjoyed both events. I knew more of the folks at the Tuesday event as I have been active with that group. I knew only a few people at the Thursday event. This gave me an opportunity to make new acquaintances and to expand my network. Almost immediately, we arranged to become connected on LinkedIn and began scheduling coffee meetings. It was fun and productive.
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
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