Tips on face-to-face networking – How to stand out from the crowd

Sometimes the best way to stand out is to blend in.  When “working a room”, here are a few tips for success (in no specific order).

1. If you really mean business in networking, don’t drink at events that serve alcohol. No one was ever offended by an abstainer.
2. Ask a lot of questions and turn on those listening skills because everyone knows that this principle works.
3. Try to ask one question that qualifies your prospect – this is a little harder than talking about the Leafs or the weather. Make sure you ask for cards and get names for follow-up.

There is a lot more to networking than this but these three are a good place to start.

Ellis Orlan, CPA (IL), CGMA, SF Partnership LLP, Toronto, ON, CYBF Mentor, eorlan@sfgroup.ca, @SFPartnership