Guest Post by Scott Bourne

With Skip’s Summer School coming up and quickly followed by the Fall workshop and conference schedule, it’s never too early to start thinking about how you’ll get the most out of each event. Here are some networking conversation starters and tips to get you going.

1. When you shake hands with someone, look them in the eye and repeat their name – twice if possible. This shows you’re engaged with them and helps you remember who they are. If you’re comfortable doing it, lean in to the person when you shake hands. This is a sign of acceptance and warmth.

2. When you’re talking to someone look them in the eye – not over their shoulder to see if someone more important is nearby.

3. Put away the cell phone when you’re meeting face-to-face. Tweet later. Update Facebook later. For now, try some old fashioned HUMAN networking.

4. Listen more than you talk and ask lots of open-ended questions. If you want to be a successful networker you’re going to have to learn that it takes caring about the other person’s needs to get yours met.

5. Ask what one big problem or challenge your new friend faces and if you have a possible solution, offer it – don’t sell – just offer to help.

6. Be sincere. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you’re not truly interested in someone, spend enough time to be polite but move on. No sense in building false expectations.

7. Introduce your new friend to at least two of your old friends, preferably before you leave your current conversation. This way you’re not just walking away, but you’re doing something that might turn out to be super helpful.

Networking requires unselfish acts. A hard concept to grasp in today’s ME ME ME world. But try it, you might get more out of it than you realize.