Savvy Networking Skills 4-6-11

A study by two universities found that 74% of Americans report feeling nervous or anxious when mingling with a gathering with strangers, and this was the top response for business situations causing anxiety, even beating the always-feared “speaking in public” or a job interview.
 
Polished professionals know that promoting themselves through exceptional networking pays big dividends, and those who do it well are successful, remembered, and become the vendor of choice in their industry, observed Danny Hearn, President of the Catawba Valley Chamber of Commerce. 
 
The ninety-minute workshop is filled with practical information, such as how to overcome anxiety in approaching strangers, starting a conversation, proper handshake techniques, tips for remembering names, the right way to exchange business cards, powerful listening skills, reading body language, and much more.  
 
The workshop is free of charge and open to all members of Hickory Young Professionals and Catawba County Chamber of Commerce. Registration is requested at http://www.hyp-hickory.com/index-3.html.
 
The Savvy Socializing Workshop is taught by Jeff Corbett of Corbett Communications, www.SavvySocializing.com.  A former radio personality, Corbett has trained business professionals across the Southeast in interpersonal communication skills and business networking since 1996.  “What makes this session unique is that it is a real-life laboratory, interactive and hands-on, fast-paced and fun,” added Dr. Matt Crouse, Chairman of the Hickory Young Professionals.  
  
“People do business with people they know, like, and trust, and since there is no better way to create an image in your marketplace than by your face-to-face people skills, maximizing your effectiveness at networking makes a lot of sense,” concluded Crouse.
 
One valuable nugget from the session is how to answer “What Do You Do?” in a way that tells your conversational partner the benefits of doing business with you. This is called your Elevator Speech, and the workshop will help you polish yours.  
 
Be sure you bring your business cards….they’ll be needed for an in-class exercise, and don’t delay registering. Space is limited, and your competitor wants to come!