The Mingling Maven | Dr. Ivan Misner®

Today, I’m honored to share with you this video from my friend Susan RoAne explaining the three tenets of savvy networking. Susan has been a good friend of mine for years, and she is one of the few people I know who I can confidently say is the epitome of a born networker. Known as the Mingling Maven®, she uses her innate charm, grace, humor, and rare networking know-how to teach people everywhere to communicate expertly and stand out positively in both business and personal situations.

Susan emphasizes in this video that in order to be an effective networker, it is imperative to be savvy–we must be thoughtful, aware, and respectful of the etiquette and the unwritten rules that abound within the networking world. She reveals that the most important thing overall is to understand what the true definition of networking really is and she provides three important tenets for successful networking both in business and life.

Watch the video now and, if you feel so inclined to share your thoughts on it, I’d love for you to leave your feedback in the comment forum below. Also, for the record, I’d like to say that I believe Susan consistently puts out some of the most outstanding content on networking around. I highly encourage you to visit SusanRoAne.com to learn more about Susan and the valuable educational content she has available.

Networking is about building relationships and one of the main ways to build relationships with people is to have effective, productive conversations. However, that can seem like a daunting task for some people who are at a total loss when it comes to the art of conversing.

If you shy away from going to networking events because you’re consumed by the fear of not knowing what to say, pay attention to these four conversation tips from my good friend Susan RoAne (a.k.a.: The Mingling Maven®):

Always keep in mind that a conversation should be balanced dialogue. It’s good to ask questions that get people to talk about themselves, but remember: people who ask too many questions are sometimes perceived as prying probing busybodies.
If you haven’t brought something to the banquet of conversation, make an “ask” of yourself. Though most people don’t mind a question, even two or three, if you are asking all the questions, there is no exchange, no real conversation, just an interrogation or Q&A.
Try reading local and national newspapers and a pop-culture blog or a popular magazine. Pick three to five items to use as emergency restarters in case there’s a lull in conversation–national news, local topics, sports, fitness, movies, books, hobbies. And food–everybody likes to talk about food.
Tell stories about things that have happened to you or others. People connect with stories, not the factoids and figures of life.

If you liked these tips, you can find more of Susan’s networking advice and resources by visiting www.SusanRoAne.com