Mastering the Cocktail Party

Ah, the holidays.

A time to ramp up your stress levels, back off on healthy routines and spend the money you can’t afford to spend.

And with all the socializing that goes on, it’s also a great time to sharpen your networking and conversation skills. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my favorite schmoozing tips with you. You never know; that white elephant party may be where you meet your next big client!

Here are my top tips on Mastering the Cocktail Party:

Arrive late

Not just because my wife and I can’t ever get to a party on time. It turns out there are benefits to this approach, such as:

- Everyone’s in a great mood from all the eggnog

- You’ll probably drink less. AND, you’ll see how your friends act after 4 eggnogs and might decide to keep it clean.

- It has the added benefit of making you seem like you have better things to do than get to a party on time, when in reality, you were just waiting for your spouse to resolve her Fashion Crisis!

Wear something outrageous

This one seems obvious.

Plan 3 things to talk about

Sounds silly, right? But we prepare our topics and stories for less important things, like work presentations, so why not come to the party with something funny, shocking or otherwise interesting to share?

Head straight to the bar, or the food

Might as well go straight to the real reason you’re there! Besides, you’re more likely to meet people of a like mind. And, you’ll get some of those bacon-wrapped-apricot-and-pistachio treats before they run out.

Laugh at people’s jokes

Don’t you like people who laugh at yours?

Compliment people

Dale Carnegie knew what he was talking about in How to Win Friends and Influence People. A genuine compliment, coupled with a specific example and a follow-up question will make you a Master Complimentarian.

“You are always the best-dressed person at the party.”

“Case in point: Check out those kicks!”

“Seriously, who’s helping you put your wardrobe together?”

Don’t look around

What’s more annoying than someone who seems like they are constantly looking over your shoulder for someone more interesting?!? When I met Obama for 45 seconds in 2008, he was entirely focused on our conversation. Then I was shown the door.

Move on

Get really good at saying, “It was great seeing/meeting you. I’m going to see if they have any more of those bacon-wrapped-apricot-and-pistachio treats!”

So get your ugly sweater (or tie) on, and try out your new schmoozing skills. And if you really want to become a better communicator, ask us about our Mastering Communication Styles and Leading Difficult Conversations courses!