[Note from Tim: I posted here earlier this month about my plans to open this blog to posts from additional authors. Then Chelle Parmele posted here yesterday explaining that the Business in General blog has moved into this one. This post by Mark Macias came in automatically with other past posts from Business in General. I didn't write it and I didn't approve it.  I don't like the bra-strap comment and I sympathize with criticism posted in the comments. Tim ]

Public Relations is a skill that not only applies to the media. It applies to social situations, especially at networking events where your image is everything.

I attended a local Chamber of Commerce networking event last night and like every other entrepreneur, I went there to mix, mingle, find leads, make sales and create new money. It’s the driving force behind every successful entrepreneur or business owner. The quicker you master these skills, the faster your business grows.

Roughly 150 people were at this NYC event. I’ve been to hundreds of journalism and PR mixers but this business crowd was different. Unlike journalism conventions -where reporters sit back and observe- this Chamber of Commerce mixer was packed with Type-A personalities. Every man and woman was focused and self-aware. No one waited for the right moment. Everyone seized even the smallest of openings.

But the longer I mingled with New York City’s entrepreneurs, the more I realized how image matters in business – and not just on TV or in the papers.

As a former Executive Producer with WNBC and Senior Producer with CBS, I have more than a decade of experience working with publicists from all over the country. But you don’t need a lofty title to understand how some publicists get it, while others need a new career. Every journalist will tell you a good publicist makes the job easy. A bad publicist turns it into a laborious task.

It was no different at this Chamber of Commerce networking event. The best entrepreneurs made the art of networking seem easy. The more awkward leaders made the event painful.

It got me to thinking: public relations skills also apply to networking events. You might pay for salesforce or oprius, but if your networking skills are off, you might be doing just as much damage at these mixers as a hit-job in the National Enquirer.

Here’s a quick rundown on how to apply public relations skills to any networking event.

The best publicists listen and interact. The worst publicists talk to you and ask few questions. The best publicists know how to drive conversations. The worst publicists can drive a train into a house and they won’t even see it coming. They aren’t in control of themselves or their ideas. When you’re networking, be conscious of your words and how you use them. Drive the conversation with open-ended questions that lead to your intended destination. Learn how to grab information by guiding conversations, as opposed to talking to others.

Make eye contact. This is a common sense rule, but many people at this networking event failed to make consistent eye contact. It was like they were afraid of emotionally connecting to me, or perhaps they were hiding something. If you have difficulty making eye contact with others, practice in the mirror. A sociology professor from college demonstrated this to my class, and it works. I do believe the eyes lead to the soul, so don’t be afraid to reveal a part of yourself at these social events. You’ll survive.

Dress the part. The best female publicists know how and when to reveal a bra strap. The best male publicists know when a touch on the elbow is appropriate and how long to hold on during a handshake. It doesn’t mean you need to express your sexuality like a porn star, but it does mean you need to be aware that connections are made through the sensory of skin. Use it to your advantage, but make sure you study this sociology before you start showing off lace or feeling up elbows. And be conscious of what you choose to wear that morning. I met some business professionals who looked like they stepped out of a 1970s Kmart catalogue. I don’t want them advising me on creativity. If you’re expressive or creative, you will likely express it in your clothes. I’m sure it sounds shallow, but the reality is when you’re networking at these events, we base our perception on reality. And your reality is what you’re wearing at the moment.

It’s not about me. It’s about you. In publicity, I tell clients we need to think of what the media needs – not what you need. It’s no different at networking events. When you learn that you are talking to a commercial real estate designer (like I discovered last night at this mixer), you need to learn more about what his/her needs are before you can determine whether or not you can work together. This takes us back to point one. Listen and interact. The best publicists are authentic and you can feel it when you first meet. That’s because these publicists understand that it is really about us – and not just you. Now that I think of it, this was a skill my teacher taught us all in Kindergarten.

Mark Macias is founder of CaffeinatedVideos.com, a social media video service that enhances the web experience for businesses. Macias also wrote the communications book, Beat the Press: Your Guide to Managing the Media (www.BeatthePressBook.com)

I’m an entrepreneur, I love a podium and a microphone, but I hate cocktail parties. When I was at business school and they talked about networking, I shuddered. I wanted to go home to my wife and kids. If it takes networking to be successful, I decided, then I’d just be less successful.

Things got better. I discovered deep network, as in working with people you like, having common interests.

But I still hate cocktail parties. And standing and making small talk with people I don’t know.

So as you might imagine, this title caught my eye immediately: Toolkit–Networking for the Shy Entrepreneur. It was on The New York Times site, a piece by Paul Brown, who does a series of “toolkits” for small business.

It seems like good advice, overall. Don’t try to sell anything; just make friends. Keep your business objective in mind. And then these three tips for the cocktail party or its equivalent (he’s quoting John Berard, who runs Credible Context):

1. Break the ice by talking about what is going on around you. “Every event offers something–a display, a presentation or cause–that can be a stress-free way to make a connection.”
2. Force yourself. “Networking in person requires proximity, which can be uncomfortable to the shy person. Getting in a line–to the bar, the buffet or the book signing–is a natural way to overcome that hurdle. The wine at the bar, the food at the buffet and the author’s high school picture on the book jacket are all ways to take advantage of what’s going on.”
3. Prepare questions to ask people you are sure to encounter at the event. It doesn’t really matter what you ask, as long as it is somehow relevant. Just the act of asking will start a conversation.

I find that very useful. And as a sometimes introvert, I liked this ending, quoting John May of Business Pundit:

“Introverts are intuitive and analytical. Use that skill.” After you have been networking for a while, ask, “What is working? What isn’t? Where do you get the most bang for your buck?”

The Cocktail Party
Flickr cc photo by dcafe

You may start noticing a theme on the BIG Blog – “Back to Fundamentals” – and when you sit down and think about it, it is a really simple idea that can have a really big impact on your business. Whether or not your company is in a financial pinch, the economy is in a slump or things are booming, it never hurts to evaluate things and get back to the fundamentals of business.

Marketing is a key component to the success of any business, so I want to focus my future posts on getting back to the fundamentals of marketing. Often times people think effective marketing campaigns require a big budget, when in reality there are many ways to market with little to no budget. Networking is one of those ways.

The word “networking” can evoke a mix of emotions from people. The old, standard definition of networking (a meet and greet event where you shake hands and make small talk with others) isn’t the only way to truly and effectively network. That being said, there is generally going to be some handshaking and small talk to learn about someone’s business and tell them about yours. There are a number of ways to effectively meet people, learn about their businesses and determine how you can create a mutually beneficial relationship, all with little to no cost and without cheesy and uncomfortable small talk. Here are some simple ideas of where/how you can network:

1. Professional associations related to your industry
2. Local or regional associations or groups
3. Traditional networking groups/clubs
4. Cultural associations
5. Chambers of Commerce
6. Local business events (business after-hours, business expos, etc)
7. Join a gym
8. Volunteer

In general, use every opportunity (business or personal) as a potential networking opportunity. Networking doesn’t have to be cheesy or boring. It can be as simple as striking up a conversation with someone who you meet in your morning workout class.

Kristen Langham
Manager of Business Development
Palo Alto Software

Over 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog. Over 57 million Americans read blogs. There are over 1.4 million new blog posts every day.

That’s a lot of conversation.

Does your business have a blog? More and more, people looking for information on your business are going online to see if you have a website. Having a blog is the easiest and fastest way to get new information about your business online and to your customer.

BlogWorld and New Media Expo, is taking place next month in Las Vegas and if you are a business owner, marketing, PR, or media professional who is interested in learning how to take advantage of the opportunities that blogging and new media represent to you and your clients, then you might want to check out the information on this conference.

Kimberly L. Coerr from Blog World Expo offered blog.bplans.com a code to pass along to anyone who wanted to get a discount for 20% off any registration type at the Show. Visit the website blogworldexpo.com and use the code “BHLDKC” to receive the discount.

Take advantage of this quick – the registration window is closing soon!

‘Chelle Parmele
Social Media Marketing Manager
Palo Alto Software