14 Ways to Work a Room

Whether it’s a business meeting or a social event, you’re always interacting with prospects. Knowing how to meet people, make a good impression, and maneuver yourself gracefully in any situation will help you succeed. These tips will let you better work any room you enter.

1. Set your goal for any event before you arrive. What do you want to accomplish? Maybe it’s to meet five new people. Maybe it’s to set three follow-up meetings. Whatever the outcome you want to achieve from the event, use your time judiciously to achieve the goal.
2. Walk in and shake hands with confidence. If you start with a positive attitude and a confident posture, people will be drawn to you. Offer a strong handshake with thumbs locked; don’t grab fingertips or knuckles. Look the person in the eyes. Say your name slowly.
3. Eat first. Don’t try to eat, drink, and mingle all at once.
4. Be ready to greet. Keep your drink in your left hand so that you’re always ready to shake hands with your right hand and greet people.
5. Start conversations. Say hello, introduce yourself, and ask people how they’re associated with the event and why they’re attending. Be authentic.
6. Get the name. When you meet people, make sure you catch their name, and use it in conversation. It’s a sign of respect. Be sure to call people by the name they’ve given you, for example, Mrs. Jones, Charles, or Mary Louise.
7. Keep the conversation going. To avoid uncomfortable pauses, use this formula: 1) Ask a question of the person you’re talking to; 2) make a statement about yourself; and then 3) ask another question. Try to strike a balance between asking questions and making statements so that you avoid a third-degree interrogation or talking too much about yourself.
8. Repeat what you’ve heard. Using phrases such as “When you said a moment ago that” or “You mentioned that” proves you were paying attention.
9. Don’t let your eyes or thoughts stray. There’s nothing worse than scanning the room and not looking at the person you’re talking with.
10. Exit a conversation gracefully. At business and social events, one of the biggest fears is getting stuck in a conversation. When you feel the interaction should end, say, “It was great talking to you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.”
11. Make a request. If your goal is to establish a relationship that will eventually turn into a deal or a referral, you need to have a reason to reconnect. Before leaving the conversation, clue people in to expect the follow-up. Say, “Can I e-mail you so that we can get together to share those great Web sites?”
12. Don’t be touchy-feely. Hugging and kissing don’t belong in a business or networking situation.
13. Leave just one card. When you give people your business card, don’t supply multiple cards for them to hand out to their friends. One card is personal and says, “This is for you.”
14. Exit the event with grace. When leaving an event, allow 15 minutes to say good-bye to people you met. Don’t just make a dash for the door.

Sources: Miriam Bamberger, The Flourishing Co. LLC, Washington, D.C.; Rosalie Maggio, author of The Art of Talking to Anyone (McGraw-Hill, 2005) and How to Say It (Prentice Hall, 2001); Susan Fignar, Pur-sue Inc., Itasca, Ill.