Icebreakers at Networking Meetings | JobSearchTV.com

Today, I’m going to talk with you about meeting people at a network group meeting.

You know the usual routine at these meetings. You walk into a room; there are a lot of people there and you don't really know anyone. You are supposed to mingle. So, you can talk about yourself and that’s always awkward but I have simple advice.

Instead, when you walk into a room with a group people, you can do a couple of different things. #1, in the course of mingling, you have a conversation starter. In this way, when you walk over to an absolute stranger. You have never met them before; if you know the US dating scene, you may remember this stereotypical question of, “hi! Do you come here often?” You can try that line on people.

My personal favorite is, “So, what's your interest in being here? Why are you here?”

What I have learned over the course of time is the more people talk about themselves, the more they like you. Being a great listener allows you to really learn about the other person and then, like in boxing, you counterpunch. You throw in some ideas. Eventually they ask you about yourself or you voluntarily talk about yourself, but always make about the other person first.

2 simple ways to meet others.

“Do you come here often,” and then if they start talking to talking to that answer, you can you can joke with them. “So, what's your sign?” After all, we are meeting at the bar here.” “I remember these days from when I was younger,” or is you just make a joke out of it so, in this way, people know that you are being facetious.

Then, finally, “What’s you're interested being here? What are you hoping to get out this,” or “what's your background,” and ask them about their work. That is just a smoother question to ask them about what their interest is in being here.