When the was the last time that you picked up a glass of wine or an equally enticing alcoholic beverage at a business function or networking event?
Could it be that such a simple and sociable act could actually wreck your chances of generating new leads and completely destroy your credibility?
Surely not…
There’s a guy down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar who would spit out his drink in surprise at this kind of talk.
Happy Henry always enjoys a drink or two at these crucial business events.
In fact, he insists on it. He reckons that it’s a compulsory component of the whole networking process.
“It’s a social thing!” he will argue.
“Having a drink in your hand delivers a certain winning impression. It makes you look friendly, human, and thoroughly approachable. Alcohol helps to oil the wheels of business! Everybody knows that.”
Hmm.
Well, some of us might be inclined to agree with him.
However, it has to be said that Happy Henry does have an unfortunate tendency to get a bit carried away.
The last time that I happened to attend a business networking event with Happy Henry – and I should stress that it really was the very last time – I ended up having to carry him home.
He had somehow managed to finish off the evening with his trousers over his head as he tried to get his photograph taken inside a coffee-dispensing machine whilst making increasingly frustrated attempts to exchange Business Cards with a tropical pot plant.
On the whole, I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t really capture any significant results from the event, other than a blinding headache when he woke up the following morning, along with a sense of horror and regret as the memories came flooding back.
Naturally, I’m sure that most of us are far too sensible to ever get caught up in that kind of extreme alcohol-fuelled situation.
Ahem. Yes, I’m quite sure of it. (If you’re not convinced, just nod politely, and we’ll quickly skip over to the next bit.)
But according to Rhondalynn Korolak, Small Business marketing expert and author of Sales Seduction, even the seemingly innocent act of holding a single alcoholic drink in your hand at a business function or event can damage your reputation and drive away potential new leads.
Rhondalynn highlights the findings of a revealing survey to back up her point, which firstly suggests that the majority of us enjoy a tipple on these occasions.
At a recent business networking event, 71% of the surveyed business owners claimed to have enjoyed at least one drink, whilst a further 36% reported that they had enjoyed at least two!
But here’s the important and mildly surprising statistic thrown up by the survey.
Those 36% of surveyed Business owners who consumed at least two drinks exchanged significantly fewer Business Cards at the event and generated less qualified leads.
Meanwhile, 29% of the respondents never actually touched a single drop of alcohol throughout the entire event – and, strangely enough, they exchanged twice as many Business Cards and gained over 40% more leads.
Coincidence?
Maybe…but Rhondalynn suggests that we could be talking about image and perception here, rather than the amount of alcohol you may or may not consume.
If you’re seen with a glass of wine in your hand, then your I.Q goes down by between 10 to 20 points.
Not in real terms, of course. That would be silly.
But simply in the way that fellow business contacts and potential new clients perceive you. It might seem totally unreasonable and totally unfair – it certainly does to me – but a stranger is likely to instinctively assume that you’re less intelligent if you’re holding an alcoholic drink in your hand.
Furthermore, if you’re holding a soft drink in your hand, then a stranger is more likely to assume that you’re intelligent, professional, and reliable.
This is why most great leaders, prime ministers, and presidents prefer to have their photographs taken when they’re surrounded by huge leather-bound books or reassuring family pictures.
This kind of image is supposed to inspire natural feelings of good character, admirable worth ethics, and genuine trust.
It generally delivers the desired impression. It works out so much better than having your photograph taken whilst you’re dancing in a conga line and pouring a whole bottle of wine over your own head.
Well, that’s the theory…but what do you think?
Personally, I can’t help feeling that it’s all about the individual event and the individual situation.
If just about everyone else in the room seems to be enjoying a nice drink, then I really can’t seem much harm in joining in with the vibe – especially if you’re supremely confident that you can still project a professional and reliable image whilst you’re holding a glass in your hand!
Having said that, it’s perhaps a good idea to bear in mind how easy it is to follow in the wonky footsteps of Happy Henry and get a little bit carried away. Please do remember that a tropical pot plant is never going to be an ideal recipient for your Business Card.
But do you think it’s okay to enjoy a sociable tipple at a business function or networking event?
Or would you rather completely avoid the risk of being dismissed by strangers, just because they perceive you as being less intelligent and less professional than you actually are?
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