Networking Like The Whos Down In Whoville

So I’ve been thinking about whether or not there is a better way to kick off a networking meeting.  Better than “everyone stand up and give your elevator pitch”.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  Many of the best events I attend include this practice.  And I don’t think it is necessarily broken.

But in my constant effort to slice away the status quo, it seems like there is some opportunity for new ideas here.

In a recent post, I gave my thoughts on giving a better elevator pitch.  How you can give a great one.  I even provided a free download to help you prepare.  If you haven’t already done so, please read this now before continuing:

When Your Elevator Pitch Has A Pitch Problem

And as I said in the post, there are a number of critical mistakes people make when delivering that important self-introduction.  Most glaring of those are:

1.  The strength of your voice

2.  Your ability to make eye contact with and connect others in the room

So I thought of an idea for an exercise. One that can help people with both mistakes.  Now, I say mistakes, but these are not one time mistakes.

“Whoops!  I forgot to speak up again.”

And the other problem here is that with groups getting bigger and time being short, often people do not get any feedback on their speech.  Leaving them destined to repeat.

No, there are deeper issues here.  Confidence and fear of public speaking.  Is this your experience?

So we have to train this out of you in a fun way.  So this is called:

The Whoville Networking Group Exercise

Of course, if you’ve never seen the movie (the story behind this idea), the exercise may fall flat on its face.  But who doesn’t know “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”?  Well, if you are one of these rare and lost souls, send me a note and I will sit you down and tell the story.

But the basic thing you need to know is that the Whos had a very strong and vibrant community.  They would circle up around the big tree in the town square and sing.  Even when things weren’t going so good.  They would sing.  Loud and strong.  So even the Grinch could hear them on his perch high on the mountain above.  In fact, it was their singing in tough times that made the Grinch’s heart grow three times its normal size.  And what led to his screaming down the mountain to return the toys and food.

Now before you run to the hills, this is not a singing exercise and I’m not suggesting you hold hands.

Unless you want to  . . .

But here’s the idea:

Either as part of the regular meeting or as part of a training meeting for new members:

1. Create a circle of 20-25 people.  Multiple circles if you have a big group.

2. Each person gives the first line of their elevator pitch (e.g. “Hi, My Name is John Smith”).  As a listener, I raise my hand if I can hear them clearly.  If I cannot, I leave it down.  The speaker does not continue their pitch until all hands are up.  The goal here should be obvious.  Teach people to project a strong voice.  It not only suggests confidence, but it guarantees that people hear what you have to say!

Of course, some will say: “But it’s not my fault.  I have a quiet voice.” or “This puts too much attention and focus on me.  It will make it worse.”  My reaction to that is: Get over it.  If you want to stand out, you need to project a strong sense of yourself.  And volume is a big part of that impression.  If your situation is really bad, bring a “Mr. Microphone” with you to networking events. (kidding)

3. A little twist?  If your name is “Cindy” or “Lou”, you get to go first.

4. Another version of this exercise helps people to make eye contact with everyone.  In the post above, I highlight people I’ve seen at events that direct their entire pitch to the group leader.  Never once looking to make contact or connect with others.  It is so important because one of the goals of your group pitch is to entice others to meet with you after.  For a quick one on one.  Or to set up a coffee meeting later that week.  That is less likely to happen if you do not connect with people during your pitch.

The idea is to put people, one-by-one, in the center of the circle to give their pitch.  This will feel a bit weird for some, but it forces the speaker to either walk the inside of the circle or rotate in one place as they speak.  At the end, everybody raises their hand if they got eye contact from the speaker.  Goal is a minimum of 15 out of 25.

5. Oh, and make sure you smile.  The Whos were good at that.  Really big smiles where the corner of the mouth gets close to the ears!  Smiling relaxes you and makes you more attractive to others.

So now, with the post above and this exercise, you have a few ways to help people solve some of the biggest problems with the elevator pitch.

And whether you actually use this exercise or just simply use it a fun idea to illustrate the point . . . use it.

If you are a group owner or volunteer, give it a try.  If you are a member in a group where these problems are rampant, suggest it to your group.

Looking for more ideas for networking success?  Click HERE.

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