Networking is no less dreaded by many lawyers than it has always been. But, it doesn’t have to be. Hopefully, a few of my 40-plus posts on this blog about networking over the past 11 years will be useful. A few of which I have highlighted below. They may prove of interest to those who may not have seen them previously.
Mike O’Horo has a recent post on Attorney at Work that mentions a couple of networking tips, one I hadn’t thought about or covered before.
- It concerns the awkwardness of the situation where you are not sure whether you’ve met a person before or have but forgotten their name. His suggestion: “Hi Denise, nice to see you.” Thus, avoiding the risk of “… nice to meet you” (when you already have) or “… nice seeing you again” (when you haven’t);
- Another suggestion involves the buddy system. Work with a “partner” to help each other in situations where you’re not sure, or need help with an introduction; and
- Name tag game. Put it on your handshaking side or, if on a lanyard, up high enough to be seen to avoid stares in the general area of the belly button. For more about name tags check out Scott Ginsburg, the Nametag Guy, if you question the importance of such things.
A few of my networking posts include: (my apologies for any broken links)
Basic Networking Tips
Do you feel uncomfortable networking? Maybe better questions include: Do you enjoy helping friends and acquaintances? Are you a good listener? Do you like to party?? Then, you may be better at networking than you think. So, maybe it is the word “networking” that is the culprit. Think of it as enjoying yourself at events….Continue Reading
7 Ideas To Improve Your Networking
Effective networking is more important as the legal marketplace becomes more competitive. A lot of lawyers do not embrace networking and wish they didn’t have to do it. It is not why we went to law school after all. Notwithstanding one’s aversion to networking, it is necessary! So you might as well make networking work…Continue Reading
Top 10 Marketing Tips: No. 9 – Networking With Super-Connectors
I recently posted a couple of items on networking, one about normal encounters during your daily routines and the other which required more focused activity. A recent post on Inc.com’s blog highlighted an excerpt from a chapter of Keith Ferrazzi’s book Never Eat Alone which is called “Connecting with the Connectors”; that is, those who…Continue Reading
Networking Requires Getting Off Your Duff!
Social media is obviously one way to network these days, and it can work. But, it is not as effective as face-to-face events with clients, referral sources and prospects. So, it’s time to get up from your desk, and get out and about. That is the theme of an article on Attorney at Work by…Continue Reading
P.S. Heaven forbid, if you want to read more of the 40 or so networking posts, go here.