[Note: This post originally appeared on IABC's Communications World blog, along with some great discussion in the comments.]
If you’re like me, you attend a lot of networking events. Which means you’ve probably seen some people with great skills, and a few whose tactics and approach are all wrong. I know you’ve encountered them–that guy (or gal), the one you smile at politely and then make a mental note to toss his business card in the trash when you get home.
Here are the seven deadly sins of networking:
- He only talks about himself.
- He can’t differentiate his business from the pack.
- He’s talking to you, but he’s looking over your shoulder.
- He belongs on What Not to Wear.
- He thinks you are an ATM machine (for information).
- He’s all about sales, sales, sales.
- He follows up, but it’s generic, all the addresses are blind copied, and the content has been cut and pasted from another e-mail.
Have I left anything out? What networking sins have you seen?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Looking at you like a number instead of a person. You know, people who go to events and say to themselves: I will meet 15 people tonight (or rather, I will collect cards from 15 people).
Great point, Deborah. And while they’re busy collecting contact information for their databases, we’re meeting people, having conversations, and cementing existing ties and building new ones.