5 Simple Networking Tips for Anyone to Get the Most from Holiday Work Events

Even for us introverted types who don't want to attend them.

The holidays are here! Whether you're ready or not it's time to start making the rounds to all the parties, open houses, mixers and end of year business events.

Unfortunately for some of us this can generate a great deal of anxiety and stress. Meeting people you don't see often can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you have to do a lot of it in a short period of time. The pressure of introducing yourself and starting a conversation over and over can make some people hesitate, or even avoid the whole holiday event scene altogether.

As a networking coach, I help people learn to navigate these awkward waters so I'd like to offer some simple pointers for the holiday festivities so you can take full advantage of all the opportunities to be seen, make connections and strengthen critical business relationships... without losing your mind.

The secret is to prepare ahead of time. Many people don't give much thought to what they are going to do once they get to an event, so they just show up and "wing it". This can be counter productive. While I hope you will also be able to enjoy the social aspects of these events, if you're not prepared for the inevitable conversations with people you don't know as well you could find yourself feeling like Scrooge.

Here are five simple tips to help you make the holiday event season more comfortable and productive this year.

1. Re-think your elevator pitch: If you have an introduction you normally use it might be wise to mix it up a bit and make sure it's appropriate for the more social atmosphere. The key to a good networking introduction is to make it a) interesting, b) authentic and c) appropriate. In other words it has to fit in with the party or event you find yourself attending at that moment. If you try and use a more formal elevator pitch at a holiday party you may find that people don't react as well. A party is certainly a time to "network". But it is also a time to socialize so everyone can relax a bit without having to worry about being accosted by sales people or inundated by all that "business talk". The trick is to have a way to introduce yourself that shares something about what you do and how you do it, but does it in a more subtle way. Reworking your elevator pitch can give you a new way to engage people you meet for the first time as well as re-engaging people you are re-meeting too.
2. Give some thought to who will be attending: You may know people who will be at an event, you may not. You can usually, however, guess what type of people will be there and use that to find relevant things to talk about. Networking is all about the art of conversation. So pay attention to what conversations might be interesting to the group of people who may attend each event. If you're going to the Chamber of Commerce open house (which I will be doing soon) you may want to talk to people about what happened this year at chamber events. You may share some of the exciting things that happened to you through the chamber or things you're looking forward to doing next year with that group. It gives you some common ground that is in line with what that particular event is all about. This can go a long way to making people comfortable talking to you, instead of wondering if you're going to launch into a sales pitch over your holiday punch.
3. Identify anyone you specifically want to meet: The holiday season is often a chance to talk to people who are inaccessible other times of the year. It might be your boss, a client, the event host, or someone who only tends to come out of their office for the holiday party. Regardless of who it is, make sure you're ready if the opportunity presents itself to say hello and talk to them. There's nothing worse than running into the owner of that HVAC company you've been trying to get a meeting with for 6 months at a holiday mixer only to realize you don't know what to say to her in person. Create a list of the most important people you might see on the holiday circuit this year and give some thought to one or two things you want to work into a conversation if you happen to bump into him or her. Now, don't be too pushy about it, remember that people don't like to be pounced on or put into an awkward position. If you have worked out a solid introduction you will be better able to start them talking and then see about working your questions or ideas into conversation naturally.
4. Devise an "exit strategy" for awkward conversations: If you do find you're getting cornered, have a plan ready to get out of the conversation. If you've thought about it in advance it will come more readily to mind when you need it under stress. Many people tend to worry about how to START a conversation at events. Other people, , especially those of us who are more introverted in nature, tend to worry about how they can END a conversation, especially an uncomfortable one. If you're ever felt trapped by an overly talkative person who just won't stop telling you about his business you know what I'm talking about. Or maybe you've been cornered by a pushy, aggressive sales person who keeps asking you to set up a meeting with her to review your insurance policy. Either is enough to make you think twice before heading to that big holiday open house. The good news is you don't have to miss out on the good conversations just because you might run into a couple of bad ones. The key is to have a plan about how to get out of the conversation in advance. You can have a friend rescue you, or you can prepare your own exit lines to use if you get stuck. Either way you will be much more relaxed and get more out of the event if you've thought about how you'll deal with the few obnoxious people who might appear. Having a plan will help reduce your stress level so you can enjoy the event.
5. Pace yourself and set realistic priorities: There are probably a lot more events happening than you can physically attend. Don't stress too much, everyone is in the same situation during the holiday. Giving some thought to which events are the most important for you will help you make good decisions about where to go, and where not to go, so you don't burn yourself out. I recommend making a simple list of the events you're thinking about on a sheet of paper (or in your smartphone or tablet if you'd prefer). Then rate them using a scale from 1 (absolutely must go) to 5 (nice but not necessary). Then order the list with all the 1's grouped together, 2's grouped together, etc. You're probably going to attend all the 1's if at all possible so order the 2's and 3's in order of your own preference or importance. Maybe you put both the local maker's meetup party and your best friends office party as a 3 on your list. Just decide which of them is more important to you and put it at the top. This prioritizing will help you make decisions about what events to go to and which to skip or send a nice note with a "no" RSVP.

Hopefully these tips will help you make the most out of the numerous holiday events that happen this time of year. Remember a little preparation goes a long way to helping you have productive conversations that are also comfortable and authentic.

Feel free to share your own stories of networking at parties, both past and present. I love to hear how you take these ideas into the real world and to find out how you use them to further your career or business.

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Want help tweaking your introduction? The "Holiday Elevator Pitch Tune-Up" offer on my website might be just the thing ($10 for a brand new pitch).

Take a peek at my course about "How to Gracefully Exit a Conversation" on Udemy.com to get some help creating your own exit plan ($10 for a limited time) .