What is a Facilitated Introduction?

Can you always be a host?    

Can you learn the art of a good introduction?

I was at a Dinner event the other night and the Host of the event said something interesting. It was, “I want every one of you tonight to be a host. If you see someone standing around by themselves, realize they don’t want to be, and go up to speak to them. Introduce yourself. Offer to help. Offer to introduce them to others. Offer to be involved”.

That struck me as very poignant and directly relevant. 

This is exactly what I do, and I call it a “Facilitated Introduction”.

There are so many times at an event that I’m on one side of the equation or another. If I’m a guest, there are never enough people helping and making introductions.

As a host of several of my own events, I’m often on the side of trying to make good introductions.

This is the aspect in which I’m keeping an eye out to make sure everyone is talking, comfortable, and meeting the right people.

Of course, as a host, it’s my job to know what that person does, what their value is, what they are looking for, etc.

Further, it’s important to know the same from other people in the group.

It is only with this level of knowledge can use excel at the art of “The Facilitated Introduction”.

When you meet someone at an event (or if you know them in advance), it’s useful to know a few key items.

Again, this is where the Tornado Technique comes in handy.

If you know the following few items, you can help understand how to help them.

1-     What is the value of what someone does?

2-     What industries do they service as customers, or want to?

3-     What are some of the companies by name?

4-     What is the title of the person you sell to within the organization?

5-     Who is on the wish list of 3-5 people they want to meet right now.

In a short time, if you can glean that information, you are more prepared to help that person.

This is where the facilitated introduction comes in.

Within a networking event or business gathering, you can determine when two people should meet each other if you have that information.

So, you can look at Party A and Party B and realize they both should meet each other and have a point of interest in common.

To do a proper introduction, you do NOT do the following;

“Hey John, this is Sally, you two should talk!”

That does not set a frame of reference or point of connection for why these two people should meet.

A facilitated introduction would occur as follows; “Hey John, this is Sally. She is a Corporate VP who runs a large branch of a Bank conglomerate. Sally, this is John. He is a branding expert and helps create corporate messaging for some really large clients. Sally just told me she is looking to redo her branding and I thought the two of you should meet”.

Done. That’s it. Introduction complete. Conversation stage is set. You can now move on to work the room.

If everyone at an event would consider themselves a host, and learn the art of the facilitated introduction, we would all be able to operate more efficiently.

As you venture forth to events, get togethers, and networking opportunities always think- How can I be a good Host!