Dec 28, 2018 09:52 GMT

Top tips for effective networking fromÍñigo Montoya

“Hello. My name is Íñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

It’s the holiday season, the week for watching cult movies and eatingchocolate. It’s also the week for pondering how to improve your businessskills in 2019.

You may recognize the above quote from 80’s flick  The Princess Briderepeated throughout the film by Íñigo Montoya (or you might have thoughtthe blog page was hacked).

This iconic sentence was revived recently and made into a meme: Tips foreffective networking from Íñigo Montoya.

According to Montoya, the four steps to triumph in any social interaction are:

• Polite greeting.• Name.• Relevant personal link.• Manage expectations.

Making an impression is an art that’s hard to master. Montoya has a point buthe’s not the smoothest diplomat. Here are some more tips to help you shineand make the most of your business and personal interactions.

Mind your body language - The general belief is that 55% of communicationis non-verbal so make sure you adopt a relaxed and open posture. Avoidcrossing arms and legs and remember - as PRs say to their clients facing ascandal - “teeth, teeth, teeth.” An authentic smile is your business card.

Be culturally sensitive - If you are traveling to another country or minglingwith people from all over the world, learn basic local etiquette. You want tomake sure you respect personal space, know if you need to kiss people one,two, three or even four times, shake hands or bow.

Listen intently -  Avoid overwhelming the other person with your pitch andthe temptation to interrupt conversation to add your anecdotes unless you’recertain the other person has finished. Be genuinely interested in your newacquaintance and listen. Be open-minded and stay focused.

Mirror - A great way to make someone else comfortable is to subtly mirrortheir body language and even their words. You will make them comfortableand they will be sure you have understood. When we feel we’ve been trulyheard, we’re putty in anyone’s hands.

Follow up - If your conversation went well and you agree to send somethingor even if you just exchange contact details, follow up as soon as possible,even if it’s just to say how great it was to meet them.

These tips will make you unforgettable but if you meet anyone with six

fingers disregard them and defend your honor.

Do you have networking tips of your own? Let us know. 

CWT

CWT is a Business-to-Business-for-Employees (B2B4E) travel managementplatform. Companies and governments rely on us to keep their peopleconnected – anywhere, anytime, anyhow – and across six continents, weprovide their employees with innovative technology and an efficient, safe andsecure travel experience. Every single day, we look after enough travelers tofill more than 100,000 hotel rooms, while our meetings and events divisionhandles more than 100 events every 24 hours.

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