We had the privilage of hearing 2012 JCI UK National President Solveig Malvik talk at our previous training event about Charisma in Networking on the 12th March at BPP Southampton. She has kindly send us a blog post going over some of the theory of the evening. Have a read if you missed out or would like a refresh.

Our next training event on the 22nd April is an Employability Taster Session run by Anita Singh from CDG. Find out more information about the event or book in here.

We are always looking for new ideas on types of training which we can offer our members (and future members) - subjects that they would really like to take part in & benefit from.  If you have any ideas please contact our Training & International Director, James Lambert, by emailing training@jcisouthampton.org,uk.

A lot of people find networking scary, intimidating and uncomfortable. But networking can be fun, it can be a great way of meeting new friends, business partners and acquaintances. I believe good networking is about making the experience easy and comfortable not only for yourself, but also for the people you network with. If you can make networking enjoyable and fun for others, people will love you for it and networking will be a walk in the park. 

Most of us need to network, either for our job, in JCI or to get a new job. Here are three very simple tips for making networking easier for both yourself and others.

1.     Comfort = confidence. Make sure you are prepared and comfortable at the event. For the ladies, this often means making sure you have comfortable shoes and that the handbag isn’t wearing you down. For the men it can mean your tie isn’t too tight, the jacket not too warm etc. Also make sure you wear something that you feel both comfortable and confident in and that is suitable for the occasion. It’s easy to use accessories to dress up or down. Men can remove or put on a tie. I find that if I’m a bit too dressed up, wrapping a casual scarf around my neck makes me less overdressed. In short, you don’t want anything taking your focus away from what you are there to do, which is to pretend to host the party.

2.     Be the host of the party. Adopt the mind-set you would have if you were hosting a party at home. What’s the difference? When you’re a host, your focus is on making sure everyone around you are comfortable, having a good time, are entertained and have what they need. This is the mind-set that makes you a star networker. Talk to people, ask them how they are doing, how they got there, if they’ve been to the same type of event before. Ask them if you can get them a drink, if they’re looking to find someone in particular. 

3.     Use an open body language. An open body language doesn’t only make you look more open and approachable, it also makes you feel more open and approachable. Open body language means an open posture – chin up and shoulders back. Hands out of the pockets, out from behind the back and uncrossed. Use your hands with your palms open and upwards. Toes should point either straight forward or slightly outwards.

For more tips on charisma in networking, get my ebook on www.charismainnetworking.com or check my blog on www.solveigmalvik.com

Yours.