Why not stop talking shop?

You go to networking events to meet new clients and get more business. But talking business all the time is often not the best strategy. This is particularly relevant if you are hosting and have invited clients and prospects to a sporting or cultural event.?

Like any good host you want to put your guests at ease, and let them relax. They are much more likely to give you business if they enjoyed the occasion and your company, rather than if you talked their ear off about all the work you could do for them.??

I normally find that if the client wants to talk business, they will initiate that conversation themselves. Then it’s worth going gently and not giving them the hard sell. One of the nice things about sports events for example, is that you can dip in and out of conversation as the action ebbs and flows. That takes a lot of the pressure off.??

So why not stop talking shop and just relax, enjoy the occasion and let the business take care of itself. The goal of a corporate day out is for the guests to have fun and come away thinking you are decent people they can work with and trust.??

“Almost everything will work if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”??

- Anne Lamott, author and speaker

Originally published here.