What is Digg?38 Comments
- KyotoWolf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+52Site Down
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So you’ve got your engineering degree, and your marquee MBA, and a business-plan. You’re on your way. But at some point you’re going to have to ‘grace’ your way through an important networking or social event. How you handle this matters–probably more than you care to admit.
Anyone who has attended a Silicon Valley networking event can attest to the fact that “Social Graces” often elude us founders. But if we were “hacking” or “grocking” our way to better methods of networking, the user manual would be 10 inches thick! There is such a thing as “Social-Business Protocol.” Not all of us in the startup universe are born with it, we can all learn it. So, here are my 10 tips for founders en route to the power-party circuit.
1. Be more of a host and less of a guest.
Susan Roane and Letitia Baldridge say there are two types of people at a party: hosts and guests. People like hosts more because they make introductions, and make people more comfortable. Guests tend to need attention and maintenance. Susan wrote the ageless book How to Work a Room and Letitia wrote Executive Manners.
2. Avoid permanently joining a “rock pile.” A rock pile is a pack of people in a tight circle. It’s natural to huddle because it makes us feel safe, but it borders on anti-social.
3. Dress for the party. The more junior you are, the better you should dress. I always try to dress up because of my lower-than-average IQ. On the other hand, an advanced networking strategy is to show up severely under/over-dressed. If you’re caught off guard with an impromptu invite, execute under-dressed (aww shucks) Mark Zuckerburg’s Adidas flip-flop routine.
4. Don’t “hotbox”. Hotboxing is squaring the shoulders front and center to one person. In groups one person will often “hotbox” the target/VIP of the group. Hotboxing in a one-on-one conversation is OK, but it excludes others from joining.
5. Put your coat and bag down. Your coat is non-verbal communication that you: a) need a shield; b) just got there; c) don’t trust the host’s coat check; d) are not healthy enough to keep your body at 98.6; e) are imminently about to leave. Women can be forgiven for keeping a purse, but it’s a networking sin for a man to keep a ‘man-purse’ (i.e. backpack, tote- or laptop-bag).
6. Mentor someone about your–or your company’s–core competence. Since Duck9 educates college students about FICO scores and debt minimization, I have networking talking points on FICO scores and the urban legends that surround them. It transitions nicely from the what-do-you-do-for-work question. It also adds some substance to party conversations and clearly brands you as a person. I’m the duck dude, with the magnet for a card, that does credit education.
7.Don’t forget to get mentored as well. A great guy I know has one rule for social-professional success: his party goal is to learn three new things at every event. It is very effective. He tilts his head like my shih tzu and gets all sorts of credit for being a great listener.
8. Be a good host while you’re someone else’s guest. Say ‘Hi’ to wall flowers. I once saw a tier-1 celebrity work the fringe of the room. He must’ve said ‘Hi’ to 12 wallflowers. Actors don’t get paid
to act, they get paid to promote. As entrepreneurs, we better promote ourselves by being gracious to everyone. This means making introductions, too. Introduce a junior person to a senior person. Include one positive snipet about both as you do so: “Sarah, I’d like to introduce Hazel, she started Fashion4 and also leads the “Ladies Who Launch” here in Silicon Valley. Hazel, this is my friend Sarah whom I told you about from…” (Letitia Baldridge has an entire chapter on this.)
9. Managing the party host. When you’re interacting with the host, ask simple questions requiring a ‘Yes/No’ response. I’ve heard disastrous questions in a vain attempt to out alpha-male the host. The best questions to ask of a host are upbeat, light and fluffy. If you want to be Mike Wallace/Chris Matthews with a hardball question, tread lightly. Also, help your host wiggle by wrangling them away from guests who are monopolizing or “hotboxing” them. They will thank you later.
10. Always, always, always: Thank the host before you leave.
These are some of the basics of good networking. One bonus tip for when you are havng a hard time at an event: play ‘Convo Bingo’. Make a list of ‘bingo’ words in your head and every time you hear a word on your list,cross it off. This will force you to listen intently and actively drive the conversation towards your “bingo words.” It also makes you a better audience to other guests. A sample bingo card is available here. - damndj, on 10/11/2007, -7/+15Worst webhost ever.
- thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7They might be once you graduate from junior high.
- PhilM, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Google has the page, but it's a slow loader.
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:tSwv28P5Uh8J:www.foundread.com/view/how-to-work-the-room+http://www.foundread.com/view/how-to-work-the-room&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=opera - jamesob, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5That's not what hotboxing is...
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I'm digging this blogspam for "I always try to dress up because of my lower-than-average IQ."
Priceless. - TheKricket, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2do people not realize that you dont have to digg an article in order to click the link and read it? just because there are only 60 diggs, that doesnt necessarily mean that ONLY 60 people clicked on the link and more aren't attacking the server at the same time...
it fascinates me that there are ALWAYS these type of comments in almost every article posted on digg... - wilf_brim, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Not a bad article. Like the bit about trying to learn 3 things at every party. Trying to be interested in other people gets you a long way. I thought the "looking like a shi tzu" is kind of funny. (as my av is Starbuck the Wonder Pom with the same look).
- encognito, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1BURn! Also nice icon!
- HewcardPacklet, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Michael Scott knows how to work the room.
- miriclaire, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I would never get invited to a party where people "hotbox" in this fashion.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Just because people aren't actually digging the story doesnt mean its not being viewed. And AFAIK, its the act of viewing the site that causes the load, not clicking the digg button.
- vornan19, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1*vornan19 enters room with party in progress.
v19: Hey all!
party: Get lost loser!
v19: bye all!
*vornan19 leaves room with party in progress.
(rule_number) Stay cheerful. - badave, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Thanks. I needed these a couple months ago before my graduation party. I think I realize some mistakes I may have made, even if it wasn't for anything other than fun.
- andburn1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Actually, I've seen a page down at 35 diggs. Stfu noob.
- scheming, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2i'm in ur partyz, spiking ur drinkz.
there will undoubtedly be a person "of high importance" that likes to drink. bring a flask of scotch whiskey or jack, everybody likes jack :) - skinjester, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0not sure why you were dugg down voodoo - Party Monster describes and demonstrates how to work a room very nicely I think. That movie/book is a great rags to riches to prison story of how a kid from the midwest moves to Manhattan and manuevers himself into being King of New York Nightlife within a year. And its a true story! A bit of charisma and self-confidence goes a long way even if you're just acting. SO is everybody else, and in social settings people are sheep.
- Locuester, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1He didn't say only 60 people clicked the link. He's merely pointing out that it's early in the Digg traffic curve and it died.
On the other hand, he's whining about or surprised at the digg effect, which is awfully n00by. - inactive, on 12/04/2007, -0/+0Thanks, very informative topic..
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http://www.viagra-pills.info - mindwalker, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1I'm glad I don't have to attend events like that often. I'd rather just avoid them altogether. Much more fun to just hang out in a bar or a real partying party.
- ButchyFuego, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2OH LOL YOUR HILARIOUS STONER COMMENTS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0mmmmm
So rude... - Beelzebub, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3having an application error is only one tip, and i dont think it would help you
- pamelabir, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0This is excellent advice!
- 1337Dios, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0Up key, Up key, Down key, Down key, Left key, Right key, Left key, Right key, B, A
- irgeorge, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0no digg for smug name dropping.
- miriclaire, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1 can't believe its on the front page!!!!
- adambenayoun, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1This is an excellent site, you should checks other articles aswell ;)
- xycyclonusxy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0What kind of a cluster ***** idiot would need this kind of help? Where the hell ya been living?
- EnglishVoodoo, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Refer to 'Party Monster'
- sensibledriver, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1Is that article a joke?
Buried as SPAM. - wildfire, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1Since I'm getting dugg down. Name that movie!
- Zefrem23, on 10/11/2007, -5/+0I'm not sure what weird 70s-throwback people this article is aimed at, but the parties *I* go to are sure as ***** nothing like *that*...
- wildfire, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2Enough of the social *****, grab a cot. Move it or lose it!
- Kallius, on 10/11/2007, -20/+5#11 - Don't host your page on an uber-lame server that can't handle it when diggs go above 60.
Two comments, 60 diggs and it's down. Must be a new record. BURIED! - dexx001, on 10/11/2007, -21/+5OMG NO NOW THE NERDS ARE GONNA HAVE A CHANCE!!
- damndj, on 10/11/2007, -24/+2Worst webhost ever.
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