Continuing from last week’s theme of making the most of the season, how can you make the most of the endless stream of holiday parties? How can you keep your sanity and good humor, celebration after celebration?
Many business holiday parties start in earnest this week as organizations prefer to host their events before the days of travel, last minute shopping and visiting relatives. And you wonder why you are so tired by the time your personal events come ’round?
You can participate in the merriment of the season, prepare yourself for a productive January and still have energy for your personal events by following the suggestions from last week’s message. Set your calendar with the events, allowing appropriate prep and recovery time. Recovery time also includes acknowledging that you need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can be just as detrimental to your well-being as overindulging on food or drink. If duty requires you to be up late, acknowledge the fact and adjust your schedule for the following morning.
Make sure you have business cards at each event you attend. No, this is not about dealing cards to everyone you meet. At business-oriented events, you may often find yourself in engaging conversations with people who would like to know you and your business better. Simply express your interest in visiting with them further after the New Year and let them know you will contact them at that time. This is an easy way to create a pipeline of people to call on in January and a comfortable agreement for the other person while in a business-social setting.
Follow up with the new people you meet and the conversations you had. Send an e-mail the next day expressing how much you enjoyed meeting the person; that you look forward to visiting further in the New Year; and you hope they enjoy the event or other personal detail they shared with you. You will create a powerful and continued first impression with this follow-up.
Making the most of the holidays is a fun and productive activity. Remember to:
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Plan it! Include prep and recovery time from those late nights.
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Prepare for it. Give the gift of being a great listener and a business card to remember you by.
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Follow up by continuing that positive first impression with a personal message.
Share how you maintain your energy during the holidays below or at barbara@acceluspartners.com.