How To Work A Room Full Of Strangers
By Sharan Tash, President and CEO of The Professional Networker, Inc.

One of the scariest situations for some people is to enter a room full of people that they do not know.  Whether it is for a networking event, a business meeting, or even a party, here are some ways to make a “cold room entry” more agreeable.

• Prepare a 30-second elevator pitch to quickly introduce yourself to others. Make sure to wear appropriate attire and be aware of your body language.
• When registering for an event, introduce yourself to the person taking the registration. Tell her that this is your first time attending a function from their organization. Ask if it would be ok to introduce yourself upon arrival, so that you’ll feel that you have at least one friendly face in the room.
• Before entering the event, check your posture and body language, take a deep breathe, exhale and smile.
• Enter the room with confidence.
• Scan the room to see where the clusters of people are and determine who the influencers are.
• Look for “singles” - people that are standing alone.  Approach and break the ice.
• Be honest about your situation, such as “this is the first time I am attending an event from this organization and I am a bit scared.”
• Invite others to join your conversation and be the host.
• Be able to exit gracefully to try it all over again.