It’s Time to Sharpen Up Your Holiday Party Networking Skills

“Holiday parties can be more than just fun—they offer networking opportunities to boost your career, build your business, or even increase your revenue.

I recommends that you be an active networker at social and business holiday parties, but he cautions, “Don’t be a networking shark, non-stop talker or know-it-all. These annoying networkers turn off just about everyone.”

Other common networking mistakes include:

* Only chatting with your colleagues or friends. (This comes off as being cliquish and uninterested in others.)
* Waiting for others to approach you. (This makes you appear snobbish or unfriendly.)
* Bad-mouthing your competitors or grousing about your boss, coworkers or company. (No one wants to network with complainers.)

Finally, a common mistake—especially for those new to the workplace—is thinking that the office party is an opportunity to let down your hair and let it all hang out. Nothing can ruin a budding or even established career faster than cutting lose at the holiday office party in a way that has people saying, "Can you believe what ... said (or did) at the party?"

Are you with the media? If so request a review copy of How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends and book an interview with Don Gabor. Please contact him at 718-768-0824 or don@dongabor.com

What if you send a LinkedIn invite to someone who doesn't respond?

I recently received this question via LinkedIn: What if you send a LinkedIn invite to someone you have not networked with in a while and they do not respond? What then? What's a appropriate way to respond?

Dear LinkedIn User:

Some people don’t pay enough attention to or respond quickly to LinkedIn invitations. You can try to reconnect with long-lost contacts via a direct email or telephone. If you have a specific reason such as a question to ask or topic to bring up, it will make the conversation go more smoothly. For example, perhaps you saw the person’s name mentioned in a blog, listed as a speaker at an tech conference or given an award. I’m sure a call to say congratulations would be welcome. Or, if all else fails, just say,

“Hi … this is … We met at …. It’s been so long since we saw each other last, I thought I contact you and see what you’re up to these days. Do you have a few minutes to chat?”

If your past relationship was good, most people will probably respond positively. If not, then maybe it’s time to look to connect with someone else who is more receptive.

BACK TO SCHOOL --IT’S TIME TO OPEN THE BOOKS AND START NEW FRIENDSHIPS

“No matter if you are in high school or college, everyone’s a little nervous on the first day of classes! It’s natural, especially if you are new to the school.” says Don Gabor, "small talk" expert and author of the updated and newly revised, How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone 2011).

The trick to getting over the awkward silent moments is to be the first to break the ice and start a conversation. “As the saying goes,” Gabor points out, “it’s not what you say—it’s how you say it. Once the conversation gets going then both of you will feel more at ease and open to getting to know one another better.

Here are several more tips for making and keeping friends.


10 STEPS FOR MAKING AND KEEPING FRIENDS

1. Be the first to say hello and introduce yourself.
2. Ask a question, make a light comment, or offer a sincere compliment.
3. Listen and ask follow-up questions about what interests you.
4. Reveal information so a new friend knows your interests.
5. Talk about common interests and experiences.
6. Spend time together in school studying, eating lunch, or playing a sporting activity.
7. Introduce a new friend to some of your other friends.
8. Work on a school project together.
9. Spend time together outside of school.
10. Talk via email, on social networks, the telephone and face-to-face as much as possible.


10 TIPS TO WIN FRIENDS FOR LIFE

F = Find friends who share your interests.
R = Respect your friend's feelings and opinions.
I = Invite a new friend to join you and your other friends in fun activities.
E = Encourage friendly conversation and openness.
N = Never reveal a friend's secret -- to anyone!
D = Don't drop old friends for new friends.
S = Stand up for your friend if someone else puts him or her down.
H = Have patience with your friends.
I = Increase the amount of time you spend together.
P = Patch up little spats before they turn into major arguments.

Don Gabor was a spokesperson for Grand Marnier, Sprint and Frito-Lay. He has given hundreds of media interviews in publications including NY News Day, NY Times, Daily News, Woman’s Day, Self, Redbook, Men's Health, Entrepreneur, Success, Woman’s World, National Enquirer, Readers Digest, and many other newspapers and magazines of interest to men and women. The New Yorker called Don, "a gifted conversationalist." He was the 2010-2011 president of the New York City chapter of the National Speakers Association.

To find out more about Don Gabor visit him at www.dongabor.com. or email him at don@dongabor.com.

8 NETWORKING GOALS FOR JANUARY 2011

"Start your networking goals in January and they will pay off all year long,” according to networking and small talk expert, Don Gabor—author of the goal-setting book,

Big Things Happen When You Do the Little Things Right*

(* Get a PDF copy of this book for $2.99!--go to http://www.dongabor.com/ or click on the link below.)


Starting NOW:

1. Save networking dates. Mark your 2011 calendar for at least one networking event a month including business meetings, social events, workshops, and other industry or career related conferences or meetings.

2. Make new or re-establish contacts. Set yourself a goal of making 1-5 new professional contacts a month either in person or via the Internet. Reconnecting with old contacts count! If you start now that will yield 12-60 new contacts by the end of 2011!

3. Follow-up with recent contacts. January is the perfect time to send emails, make calls or mail promised information to the contacts you met at recent events like the past conferences or holiday parties.

4. Refer clients or assistance to colleagues. January is a time that most people make an effort to get things done so your efforts to help your colleagues and friends will most certainly be appreciated and remembered all year long.

5. Get professionally printed business cards. The answer to, “How can I get in touch with you?” is “Here’s my card.” It’s easy and cheap to have professionally printed business cards. (Business cards printed on home printers look amateurish.) Do a search for “business cards” and get them done right.

6. Get involved. Join professional and civic associations and volunteer to help in the monthly meetings. The professional and social relationships you begin in January will strengthen all year long.

7. Start your list of networking goals for 2011. Effective networking begins with clearly defined goals. Start a list now and you will be pleasantly surprised to see how many you can accomplish by the end of 2011.

8. Practice your conversation and networking skills every day. If meeting people and making conversation at networking events doesn’t come natural to you, consider reading my book, How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends and start improving your connecting skills right away—it’s easier than you think and can really accelerate your career.

To get more done in 2011 in your professional, social and personal life read:

Big Things Happen When You Do the Little Things Right by Don Gabor

E-BOOK PDF FORMAT DOWNLOAD! $2.99

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