U.S., HAWAII: Six ways to bomb during your networking effort

By Danielle Lum

U.S., Hawaii Bureau Chief

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Ivan Misner speak at a special event for BNI members in Hawaii. If you ever get the opportunity to hear him, jump at it. He is a fantastic speaker. He peppers his talk with anecdotes, examples, and live demonstrations to keep the mood upbeat and the audience energized. He was even undaunted and unfazed by two (not just one!) fire alarms during his hour-long talk. To top it off, he leaves the audience with very solid information that you can use pretty much right away.

His talk centered on his new book, “The 29% Solution,” and he gave the audience many different -- and easy to implement -- tools and tips on how they could become better networkers. If you want to know some of his tips, pick up the book, go read his blog, his Web site, or his article in The National Networker, or attend one of his speaking engagements.

What I want to focus on in this article is the networking event that surrounded Dr. Misner’s speech. It being a BNI event, naturally there were a couple of hours before and after the talk specifically dedicated to networking.

And there was a lot of networking going on. The room was loud, with many people talking, laughing, and doing what they came to do: networking. There were many connections being made that evening.

And while there were so many people doing things right, there were a few who could use a refresher course in Networking 101. So I thought it would be fun and different to do a list of things I observed during the networking portion of the meeting that are perfect ways NOT to be an effective networker:

1. Hang out only with the people you know...either from your chapter or your company. It’s natural for people to want to be with the people they know. I know this from experience. I’m shy so I prefer to be with the people I know because it is comfortable and safe. Others justify that they don’t get to hang out with their friends from work or from BNI, so something like this is a good time to catch up. My advice is simple: Make a date with them to socialize later. Networking time is work time. 

   
   
2. Don’t bring business cards. Common mistake, and I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point or another. I saw it quite a bit at this event, though, so be aware and prepare.

   
   
   
3. Don’t wear a name tag. The corollary to this that the name on your name tag be so hard to read that people need a magnifying lens to see it. BNI provides plastic name tags that are the size of a business card. People put their business cards in them, thinking that their name, company, and phone number information is now available if someone wants it. Wrong! I saw people squinting to see the names in 12-point type. Your name tag is your calling card when meeting someone for the first time. So your name should be easy to read from at least five feet. So if you really want to use the BNI name tag holder, create a special insert that has your name in large, easy to read letters. 

   
   
   
4. Arrive to the event late. This is self explanatory. You can’t network if you’re not there.
   
   

5. Spend your time outside the room. This is a corollary to #4. Again, you can’t network if you’re not there. Besides, you made your way to the event, on time, why not go inside the room and meet people? 

   
   
   
6. Spend the whole networking time standing in line for food. The line for hors d'oeuvres was poorly thought out by the hotel staff so the line snaked across the room. Yet people insisted on standing in line for food, bypassing an opportunity to network with anyone other than those standing directly around them. Is there another way? Can you eat and network at the same time? Yes. Wait for the line to get shorter. Keep an eye on it and when it’s reasonable and there is a break in the networking action, excuse yourself (if need be), and step away. 


In all, the Ivan Misner event was excellent. The speaker was second to none and the energy and excitement in the room was unparalleled. If Dr. Misner ever stops in your city, be sure to attend. And be pack your best networking skills when you go.



Danielle Lum is the president of NK Design, Inc., a public relations, advertising, and marketing company in Honolulu. A boutique agency, NK Design specializes in assisting small and new businesses to create memorable message strategies and reach potential customers.

Learn more about Danielle and NK Design:

http://nkdesignhawaii.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nkdesign
http://prponderings.blogspot.com/

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U.S., HAWAII: Six ways to bomb during your networking effort