Are you ready to mingle?

Who doesn't want to be liked? Most of us do. Most of us are also very lovely people, however, not always know how to become that one coveted guest.

One of the secrets is being attainable. Those who are very successful in networking are extremely approachable.

But how do they do it? First smile, eyes up, phone away. These are the basics!

When you enter a room and your look down on your phone or on the floor, how can you become reachable? This makes you instantly unapproachable.

What we do next, when we enter a room is to get a drink. Yes! That's right. It does not have to be an alcoholic drink. In fact, its nothing to do with alcohol. Those who carry their drinks around, meeting, greeting and talking to people are more likely to enjoy the event. And those who sit in the corner eating, missing on new connections and opportunities. Another fact is, that when people see you holding a drink, it indicates that you are there to socialise, have fun, chat, stay and ready to mingle.

Now, when you look like someone who is there to enjoy their time with others, you cannot wait for them to approaching you first. If you attend a party on your own, I suggest to come a little early and see who is the other person or a group you can couple up with. And the best place to meet someone is the bar. Its the best place to introduce yourself and start a conversation waiting in the queue.

If you do not know how to start a conversation, here is a perfect line "Oh, that drink looks delicious. What is that?". And thats where the bravery part come to play. Hesitation is a sign of lack of confidence, so the next time when you want to speak to someone, just do it!

You also need to move around the room. Do not find one comfortable place somewhere in the corner but move around a little. This way you are more likely to meet more people.

Fun Fact. Have you even heard that if you want to become likeable you need to look at someones left eye? And when you want to become more authoritative, look at their right eye. This is an old body language technique. It is also a good advise to lean towards the other person, that shows connectivity.

If you read my previous blogs, I have been looking at how to make the best first impression and how to show good manners in social event. However, you can be the most polished and mannered person in the room, but still not being able to engage and attract people. You need to earn respect. If you are in a position to influence others, others will have a great honour socialising and working with you. There is many ways to increase your authority in any situation, and we will explore few tricks below.

One of the main points I would make is to have a powerful voice. It does not mean however to be loud. There is many ways of improving your voice. Many learning classes, video tutorials and free webinars available online.

Another, very hard indeed part is to being mindful of your body language. I find this part very difficult myself. It is because, I tend to absorb in a conversation and forget all about my presence in the moment. It is true however, that your body language play over 60% in your communication to others. So, we must master it and pay attention, until it becomes a habit.

We want to communicate the best way we can with our bodies. If you are slouching you are making yourself small and shrinking yourself down.

Next, we need to speak up! Yes, it is advisable to talk more and have more to say. Of course the information need to be relevant and adding value. You may use examples to present your point of view or give a case study facts. These are very hard to argue with.

Are you now more confident and able to get out there to socialise again? I hope these tips have given you some information to be more approachable, likeable and able to enjoy your time out. Good luck!