Or at a conference, trade show, golf outing, mixer, association meeting, cocktail party, Thanksgiving Dinner!

Remember, Thanksgiving is about giving. And so is business networking!

Here is what ChatGPT says!

Don’t be self-centered, interrupt others, overstay your welcome, be too pushy, ignore nonverbal cues, talk only about work, use your phone constantly, disrespect personal space, forget to introduce others, overwhelm with information, be unprepared, drink too much, and forget to follow up.

Here are 10 Knock Out Networking reminders to keep in mind!

Don’t Sell
Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to be sold to.

Don’t Monologue
Make conversations collaborative. Ask questions about them!

Don’t Overwhelm
Sharing your own agendas or personal life as a narrative is a lot.

Don’t Just Talk About You
Exchange details about each of your businesses while finding common interests.

Don’t Look Like You Want to Be Anywhere Else
Maintain eye contact, minimize phone use, smile, laugh, be interested.

Don’t Leave Home Without Business Cards or Digital Doodads
Be prepared to share your contact info. Psst…this is a good thing!

Don’t Downplay the Competition
Fun but not the best look. What does it say about you?

Don’t Complain
Complainers tend to attract complainers. Worth complaining about.

Don’t Leave Follow Up to Them
Discuss a possible next step during the conversation and then FU within 24 hours.

Don’t Lose Touch with Important Contacts
Like the hokey pokey, that’s what it’s all about! Invite to events, make intros.

At networking events, it’s important to make a good impression and ultimately attract the right people to have valuable conversations. As in conversations, that are valuable.

Obvious I know.

If our focus is always on asking questions, learning, helping, and having fun, we’ll make plenty of great connections! Pow! 🥊

What are some of your don’ts or “not to-dos” at networking events?