Before:

• Dress professionally — remember what your mom said about first impressions. You are representing your organization.
• I will admit to being old-fashioned, but no leggings, save your sexy shoes for the bar, cover up your tattoos, no extremely short skirts, and I always recommend a jacket. A jacket doesn’t need lapels; it can be deconstructed. Nothing says power like a jacket. Why do you think men wear them?
• Buy and wear a good name tag if your organization does not provide one. A name tag that people can read. It’s a $12 investment.
• Bring cash — you never know when there is a cash bar.
• Bring quarters for street parking.
• Change your shoes before the event — you will feel like a new person.
• Have your business cards ready.
• Leave that huge handbag at home — it is hard to hold a drink and shake hands while juggling a huge shoulder bag, and I’ve seen some monster ones. A small cross body with some cash, Kleenex, your phone and business cards is plenty. Your shoulder will thank you later.

During: 

• Go with a goal in mind. For example, I will meet five new people.
• Go with a friend. However, when you get there, you need to divide and conquer. Do not talk to your friend the whole time or sit at the same table. Make a game out of it — have a prize for whoever meets the most people.
• If you are going alone for the first time and don’t know anyone, look for the person standing in the corner. He/she is scared to death. Introduce yourself, ask them some questions, then take them and find another person to talk to. They will be grateful forever.
• When you meet someone, here are good openers: What do you do? How did you get your job? What challenges is your industry facing? What did you hope to get out of this networking event? Where were you born? What do you do for fun? Are you active in this organization? What is one thing about you no one else here knows? People like to talk about themselves.
• Practice how to disengage with someone who is taking up all your time. Every now and then you will meet someone who is monopolizing you. Practice exit phrases like, “I am going to get another drink (or go to the restroom). It was really nice to talk to you.” Or, “I promised my boss I would meet five new people. It was nice to meet you. Thank you so much for your time.”

After:

• Send a handwritten thank-you note and include your card. Also, reach out to them on LinkedIn.

Like all things, the more you practice the better you will get. Take advantage of it! 

Katie Roth is president of Aureon Staffing, a full-service employment placement agency located in West Des Moines. She owned Portico Staffing for 10 years before selling the company to the Merit Resources/INS Family of Companies, which is now Aureon. While she was at Merit, she was a regional finalist in the 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year contest sponsored by Ernst & Young.
She is currently on the Homesteaders Life Co. and Medix Dental board of directors, and was the first woman president of the Rotary Club of West Des Moines. She is a graduate and board member of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, and was named a Business Record Woman of Influence in 2015. Contact her via email.