One of the lost arts amongst many people I come across is “schmoozing and boozing”. I have to admit that I too sometimes forget the value of a social function for making some quick connections without sounding sales-y or less than genuine.
A perfect example of an effective schmooze and booze was going to a mixer event held yesterday by the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. I had a great time having a chat with the president of the chamber and other members of the chamber, and I got to meet some really great business people in the area. Great, genuine conversation around business, Saratoga, and the area.
Even without the “booze” aspect, going to a breakfast meeting or event similar to this is so important to getting to know people outside or your circle of friends or online connections. Many local chapters of organizations as well as chambers have these events, and even if you just spend 30-45 minutes (like I did) at an event of this type, you get your face in front of a different audience and may run into someone who knows someone or knows of someone. Making a few solid conversations is better than trying to meet everyone at events like this.
I plan on doing some “schmoozing” events at my business in the near future to do exactly what I have seen some great local organizations do – bring together some unique minds for a brief event to get to know one another better.
