I had the good fortune to teach 100 University of South Florida athletes and their coaches, faculty, and mentors last Monday evening. It’s funny how magic swirls around a space when folks are meeting for a common good. It almost takes my breathe away when I sense and see it unfolding. Our goal, as a collective group, was to help the student athletes grow in three areas:
- Interviewing
- Networking
- Business Dining Skills
What I constantly see and know to be true is that successful people love to help others become successful. So here are a FEW examples of things we taught the student athletes.
Interview Skills
- Google the company. Know their mission statement, the charities they support and any fresh or previous news you can find. Also, search for the person you’re interviewing with and any other leaders to find their recent successes in the company.
- Speak to each and every person you encounter, from the parking attendant to the receptionist. They are indirectly interviewing you and giving feedback to HR and management on your likability and social skills. The gatekeepers hold the keys to you getting the second interview.
- Stand to greet your interviewer, never shake hands sitting down. Shaking hands sitting down puts you in a subservient position. Wait for the interviewer to show you where to sit. Don’t just plunk down anywhere. Wait for them to sit down first, then have a seat.
Networking Skills
- Put others at ease. Since most of us are a little uncomfortable attending networking events, go with the intention of putting others at ease. Take the focus off of yourself.
- Know the top three people you would like to connect with at the event. Arrive ten minutes early and take an astute yet comfortable stance near the door. Meet, greet and converse with these leaders early while they are fresh and not talked out. Beware of hanging out with the same people you know in a chain gang all night. You’re free to move about the cabin 🙂 Your goal is to make new business connections.
- Beware of the bar and buffet. In fact, keep away from both of them. You can’t talk about business with your mouth full. Eat before you go. You are there to build relationships, not to win an eating contest – or worse – a drinking contest…
Business Dining
- When seated at the dining table remember BMW – Bread, Meal, Water. So you will know your bread is on the left, meal is in the middle and your glass is on the right. This way you will never hijack your bosses or potential employers bread plate.
- Wait for your host to pick up their fork or say “please eat”, before you start eating. Again, the food is not the goal, building new relationships is. Converse about interests, hobbies, sports teams, favorite vacations, etc.
- If you are the host (the one who extended the invitation), the most elegant way to pay is to never let the check reach the table. Give the waiter your credit card before the guest arrives and let them know you will settle the bill once the guest has departed the restaurant.
The secret to self confidence is to know and understand the rules of social engagement before you are in the middle of an uncomfortable situation. Check out Everyday Etiquette for tips.
My Business Success Series will show you how to navigate common and uncommon social situations that present themselves in professional as well as personal settings. We are all walking biographies – what story are you communicating to others through your unspoken soft social skills?
Take a peek at the 15 videos that are available in my Business Success Series.
