Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Acting a Fool

Let me paint a picture for you: I am beautiful Geisha A Go Go in downtown Scottsdale enjoying a beautiful night of networking at the Young Professionals Networking event. I am sipping my water, chatting with a young woman who is telling me about her ambitions and capabilities when very abruptly and loudly a young man comes barreling over. After loudly and rudely saying “what’s up ladies?” he forces his business cards (a beige, thick card stock with a green embossed logo, very nice) upon us. At this point it is completely clear that he has hit the bar, watching him webble and wobble back and forth with sweat seeping from his head while he invaded our personal space bubbles.

We both politely took his card and exchanged them with our own. He commenced telling us about his company. It was like listening to a recording, that slurred, but we both kept smiling and listening. I then asked him, so what is the best part of your amazing job? He actually had no answer; he just stood there with a blank look on his face. He works at a place that should be filled with amazing things about his job and he was too far gone to answer.

After we briefly told him about our companies, he said his farewells and headed back to the bar. I turned and look at the young woman I was speaking with and we simultaneously said “Oh my god!” We both couldn’t believe that someone who was representing their company would be foolish enough to drink themselves into that embarrassing state.

Please, remember whenever you are out talking with people, it is an opportunity to network and talk about your business. You are, at that moment, the face of your company; you are who that person will do business with. Don’t ruin it with a lack of self control and foolishness. There is nothing wrong with drinking and having a good time, but there is something wrong with drinking excessively when networking with strangers.

Be mindful of your choices and make sure to represent you and your company in a positive light.

By the way, I got no follow up from the young man.

No comments:

Post a Comment