Try This When Meeting New People -- Just Say "Hello"

I was at a grand old networking event last Friday night with a couple of the lawyers from my firm. For them it was the first time circulating with this crowd. We met a few people, talked a bit, yet eventually I needed to slip away to do some private networking of my own. One of the lawyers with me said, "What do I do now?" My answer was just as brief as his question. I motioned to the gathering crowd and said, "Pick someone and say hello."

It seems a pretty basic instruction but sometimes it is the most basic message that permits a step forward.

If you find yourself wondering what to do next (at some networking event or another), just give yourself permission to do what you need to do -- tell yourself, "pick someone and say hello."