Elevator speech? Check.

Smile and business cards? Check

Shoes shined? Suit pressed? Look like a million bucks? Check

Objectives set? Check

Up on latest news for smart conversation? Check.

Discussion questions memorized? Check.

 

With everyone pretty much a networking clone by now, how do you get real interest in you?

 

Surprise people.  

 

Ask  this high pay-off question and watch them light up:  “Tell me, what would someone have to say for me to recommend you?”

 

People LOVE this question. A. They feel I am really interested in helping them (I am). B. It gets them off their canned elevator speech and provides a much richer description of what they do that would really help me help them. C. Best of all, that interest in them sparks a deeper interest in what I do. A win-win all around.

 

Try it at your next event. Let me know how it works for you.

 

Recommendation: Congratulations to my pal for celebrating the 21st birthday of her best selling book on networking: "How to Work a Room" by Susan Roane.