What Your Business think

The networking season has begun. And if these events include cocktails and canapés, you'll be caught in the same bind as everyone else. How do you network and eat and drink, all at the same time?

Here's the typical scenario. You approach someone who's shoveling food into his mouth, and he puts up his hand as if to stop you. He can't really talk right now.

Or you put out your hand to shake someone's hand. She is holding a cold drink, so she has to find a place to put the drink down. Then she wipes her hands on their pants or jacket and shakes hands, all the while apologizing for her cold, clammy hand. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Here are 7 tips to help you network well, and still enjoy the food!

1. Don't try to network and eat at the same time. Networking isn't about eating, it's about meeting people. That's why it's called net-work, not net-sit or net-eat. If you are hungry before the event, try to eat before you go.

2. If you don't have a chance to grab a bite before the event, when you arrive, find a place to sit down and eat some of the delicious food. Then get up and network.

3. If you still plan to eat and talk, here's how to do it. Choose foods that are easy to eat, like baby carrots or cheese and crackers. Warning: Don't pick up that cherry tomato. It's likely to squirt tomato juice on the person in front of you.

4. Always keep a napkin in your left hand, so you can wipe your fingers after you eat something. And always keep your right hand ready to shake hands.

5. Avoid anything greasy or sticky, such as fried chicken wings. Be careful of very hot canapés that can burst open or fall apart in your fingers.

6. Hold cold beverages in your left hand, so your right hand is always ready to shake hands. Hold your wine glass by the stem in your left hand as well.

7. To hold both a plate and a drink, use the Layering Technique. Here's how it goes. Hold a small plate in your left hand. Put your wine glass on the plate and anchor it with your thumb. Put a napkin under the plate and hold it there. Every time you eat, wipe your fingers on your napkin. Voila! Now you can add finger food to your plate, and still keep your right hand available for shaking.

There's much more to successful networking that just eating and drinking. You have to know how to approach people, how to introduce yourself, and how to follow up.

More and more I've been facilitating progressive networking events where participants switch tables three times over the course of the evening to interact with three different groups of people.

It's one of my favorite events to lead, and attendees enjoy them as well because they really maximize the number of connections they can make in a very short amount of time and know exactly what to do next to follow up. And when the events are done well - and I always strive to go the extra mile - people also form deeper connections. Both breadth and depth in networking.

A few years ago, I led a particular event for the National Association of Women Business Owners that still sticks it out in my mind today. And it's all because of the novice networker who came off like a pro.

I met her during the second round of the event. She sat at my table along with several networking veterans I knew, and some I didn't. No one could tell by looking at her that she was completely new to networking. And had she not told us herself, we would never have guessed.

This was the first networking event she had ever attended, yet she handled herself beautifully and was an instant hit. Why? She did a number of things that sometimes even experienced networkers forget (or don't know) to do to make a lasting, positive impression.

If you're just getting started with networking or find yourself struggling with it, you'd be wise to take some of these lessons to heart:

• She admitted she was nervous. Just came right out and told the whole table. While this may seem like a risky move on the surface, in fact, she endeared herself to us immediately. She didn't quite know what she was supposed to do, and by saying so in an honest and heartfelt way, we all wanted to help her.

• She was friendly and enthusiastic. A smile goes a long way. No one wants to network with a sourpuss. You need to be approachable and show that you're open to learning and listening if you want to attract great people into your network.

• She showed a strong work ethic. During the group interaction she shared that she was working full-time at a bank, going to school for her degree and also working part-time in the music industry. Definitely no slouch. We were all impressed with her and felt that although she was young and didn't have a lot of experience, she could get any job done through hard work.

• She came prepared. Though the bank didn't give her her own business cards, she brought a stack with her boss's name and wrote her name and cell phone number on the back. A few people at the breakfast actually ran out of business cards. A rookie mistake that I've seen many veterans make, but that this newbie did not.

• She thanked me afterwards. I'm a sucker for politeness, what can I say? I always feel that it's a nice touch to thank the organizers of an event especially, and, to a lesser extent, the speakers. In addition to being a considerate gesture, it's an easy (and quick!) opportunity to get face time with some of the most influential people in the room. And since so few people do it, you'll be remembered.

While I've come to specialize in teaching networking from the ground up, giving networkers a progression of steps and tools to get motivated and get going, what I learned that day was networking from the inside out - how enthusiasm, authenticity and 'fessing up to your fears can be just as important to a successful start.