'Tis the season for holiday get-togethers. Here are some tips to make the most of these networking opportunities:
1. Arrive on time. People who host holiday parties (corporate or parties in their home) are always worried about when people will arrive. Do not fall into thinking it is best to be fashionably late. Instead, be sure to get there within 10 minutes of the scheduled start. This is out of respect for the host. If you plan to arrive later than 10 minutes, be sure to call and tell them.
2. Greet your host/hostess and thank them for including you in their party. Even if you are a client of a large firm that is hosting a corporate holiday party, common courtesy still should prevail. Seek out the person who invited you to attend and let them know you appreciate being invited. This will make you stand out from the crowd, as few people will actually do this.
3. Do not eat like you are have been marooned on a desert island. The catering for holiday parties is expensive, and too often guests jump in and eat their weight in the shrimp or other treats. Especially in these tough economic times, the amount of food at the party might not be unlimited. While it is there for you to enjoy, if you pig out everyone will notice. This is especially important if you are out of work. Do not eat like it is the only meal you will have all month or people will talk about it later!
4. Avoid drinking too much. When the free cocktails are flowing, many people forget to stop. If you get drunk at a holiday party you can rest assured that you will be the one that is remembered the next day ... for all the wrong reasons. Know your limits and stick to them.
5. Ask questions of people you meet. Too often people treat networking events as their own commercial for their products or services and spend the whole evening talking about themselves. Nobody really cares much about you the first time they meet you, but instead they care about themselves.
6. When it is time to leave, seek out your host again and let them know you had a nice time and that you are departing. Sending an e-mail or handwritten thank-you note the next day would also be a classy manoeuvre that will have your host or hostess thinking highly of you.
