Comments on: Networking 201: How to “work a room”

By: Lanita Moss

Lanita Moss — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:33:18 +0000

Thank you so much. I hate walking into a room not knowing a soul. I will definitely try this out at my next conference cocktail party.

By: Nishant

Nishant — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:45:04 +0000

Diana, Thank you for writing this article. Great tips. I love this article because it has simple tips which I can put to use IMMEDIATELY! I am attending a 3-day convention (in a foreign country) and did an introspection and realised that I can do better networking. Tried googling and found your article.Now heading to Day 2 and I am already feeling very confident.

“Have we met before”?!

By: Jeff Michaels

Jeff Michaels — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:45:52 +0000

Excellent article. I will add two more thoughts.

1) If you use a breath mint or freshener make sure it is not overpowering. A blast of Altoid or Binaca breath can be disconcerting.

2) Ease up on the colognes and perfumes. Better; Don’t use them at all.

It is one of the main pet peeves of clients of mine. When you shake hands with someone and they leave some intense Sam Malone scent on your hand, it becomes a trial to get to a washroom and get the smell off of you so you do not pass it on to someone else.

By: Susan RoAne

Susan RoAne — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:06:31 +0000

I see that you’ve included some very good advice. As the author of How To Work a Room® (Harper) now it its third revision and someone who speaks professionally on the subject, I can attest that most people find doing so to be daunting.
A suggestion I give my audiences and my readers: have your own self-introduction prepared and gear it to the event at hand to give people a context for your presence.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:32:07 +0000

What a fantastic, helpful post! I found it via writingexcuses.com and look forward to reading your book.

By: Writing Excuses Season 3 Episode 10: The Dos and Don’ts of Attending Cons » Writing Excuses

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:12:26 +0000

[…] one piece of linkage you introverts (and you untrained extroverts) absolutely MUST have - “Networking 201: How to Work a Room,” by Diana […]

By: The Diana

The Diana — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:42:04 +0000

Thanks, Corrie Ann!

By: Corrie Ann

Corrie Ann — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:56:07 +0000

I loved this post. I’m sharing it with my Facebook friends, and then I’m buying your book. Thanks!

By: Networking 201: How to “work a room”

Networking 201: How to “work a room” — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:04:10 +0000

[…] Reprinted with permission from Diana Rowland’s web site […]

By: Sean Richardson

Sean Richardson — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:03:57 +0000

That’s a good overview. The one comment that comes to me is that I sense a theme of moderation that you haven’t brought out as a link. Just as it’s better to neither stick with only the people you’ve met already nor flit about, and not talk more than your share in whatever size clump you’re in so long as you’re trying to get to know those people, it’s better too to avoid interrogating people as much as avoiding oversharing. And so on. Being honest with yourself about what sort of non-verbal communication is going on, it’s usually possible to keep a reasonable balance.

But then, moderation in moderation, too. Depending on how many people are present, and how they are interacting, it may not be reasonable to try to meet most everyone that occasion … and if a real conversation is sparked, or if someone is truly interested in something you can share, it may be sensible to come back to that person or let them come back to you at the expense of meeting a few more people on that particular occasion.