Manners or Monsters
This piece of paper should not be shoved into a stranger's hand before you’ve even confirmed they aren't a ghost.
What is a business card?
Instead of "What do you do?", these non-work conversation starters help you build trust and realize the person across from you is a human.
What are icebreakers?
This is the social equivalent of "ghosting"; it's when you wait this many weeks to reach out, long after the person has forgotten you—and probably your name.
What is two weeks or more? (Stick to that 48-hour window!)
You should know who you are looking for before you go—be it a partner, a vendor, or one of these people who actually pays you.
What is a client?
This is the absolute "best" amount of money to spend on networking to get great results.
What is zero dollars?
You should never treat a networking event like this desperate social activity where you’re just hunting for a "match" and ignoring everyone else's boundaries.
What is Speed Dating?
This is the secret "networking" goldmine where people bond over things like vintage cars, sewing, or sourdough, rather than LinkedIn stats.
What are Hobbies?
This digital "attack" involves sending a LinkedIn request with zero context or message immediately after meeting someone, making you look like a generic bot.
What is the "Blank Invite"?
This is the polite phrase to use when you need to escape a conversation to go find a drink or "get rid of a napkin."
What is "Please excuse me"?
This is a very limited resource, and should help you decide if a networking event is worth the effort
What is time?
This is the maximum number of people you should "sneak" onto your email newsletter list without their permission after a 5-minute chat.
What is Zero?
You should do this if you see someone standing alone and looking like they’d rather be anywhere else.
What is inviting them into your conversation?
It’s a major faux pas to send a follow-up email that is basically a "Wall of Text" describing every service you offer, instead of suggesting this simple, low-pressure meeting.
What is a 1-on-1 (or a coffee chat)?
This "partner in crime" can help you navigate a room or signal you when it's time to move on to a new person.
What is a wingman?
Some groups are "exclusive" (like for lawyers only), but you should be wary if the group feels like they are holding their connections in this unpleasant state.
What is hostage?
If you’re exhausted, distracted, or have so much work you’re vibrating, you should choose this action instead of "powering through" a mixer.
What is Skip the event?
While you want to be recognizable through your style, a signature treat, or a unique hobby, you should do this to avoid being "hokey," over-the-top, or dressing like a farm animal.
What is authentically stand out?
To avoid the "Are you free Tuesday? No, how about Thursday?" dance, you should avoid this faux pas by providing a calendar link or specific dates in your first outreach.
What is scheduling back-and-forth?
This is the "boring" question that most people lead with, which you should try to avoid to be more memorable.
What is "So, what do you do?"
Before joining a group, you should ask your buddies where they are having this, to see if the group's "vibe" matches your needs.
What is luck (or success)?
This is the term for the "All-About-Me" conversational style where you talk twice as much as you listen.
What is "monologuing" (or being a bad listener)?
The "Wildcard" tip: This "matchmaking" action involves providing a link or a helpful introduction to someone you just met to build instant trust.
What is providing value (or making a connection)?
This modern nightmare involves sending a "spam-style" message that was clearly pre-typed by AI, contains zero context from your actual conversation, and feels like it was written by a robot.
What is automated AI responses?
Instead of the generic "I am a [Job Title]," you should have one of these memorable phrases that clearly relates to your work and sticks in people's brains.
What is a tagline (or catchphrase)?
This tried and true strategy suggests reviewing your current connections from the previous year to spot these "fizzled out" opportunities, or find new ones
What are re-connections?