Schmoozing + Personal Branding = Networking Success

Schmoozing comes naturally to me, I'll be the first to admit. Hey, I'm an extreme extrovert AND I love to listen! If you are a schmoozing-challenged person who could use some tips to really rev up your networking and career-advancement techniques, then check out Guy Kawasaki's blog posting The Art of Schmoozing II. It features 10 tips from networking maven Susan Roane.

But here's a twist I added: think about how you can use your personal brand to create additional leverage for each of the 10 tips. Here's what I mean. I recently had a speaking gig (half-day workshop presentation) on personal branding for the Wisconsin Private Colleges Career Consortium. Because I arrived the night before, I was able to network with the participants prior to the workshop. Unwittingly, before I had even read about the 10 schmoozing tips, I had used ALL 10 tips with the added impact of personal branding applied for powered-up networking.

For example, in determining what you have in common (Susan Roane's Tip #3) and preparing your self-introduction (Tip #4), you could emphasize brand attributes and differentiators that are of value to this particular target audience, while also showing what you share (points of commonality). I connected to my audience of private-college career counselors by mentioning credentials and experience I had in common with them, while differentiating myself with cutting-edge credentials such as Distance Career Counselor and Certified Personal Branding Strategist.

My "small talk" (Tip #9) incorporated some of my branding attributes (smiling, caring, authenticity, and forward-thinking) to convey a consistent image that was reinforced in the workshop the following day. By drawing from and connecting with brand strengths the entire schmoozing experience became an exercise in being genuine.

Why not try instilling your personal brand in all of your job-search and career-advancement activities, including savvy schmoozing? Let your hair down a bit and let others know the "real you". You may find they will respond in kind and that would lead to an even richer schmoozing encounter.

Cross Posted at Career Goddess Blog