Professional Development Seminar: Art of the Schmooze: Strategic, Effective & Inclusive Networking

CCC Professional Development Seminars
Northeastern University | Boston, MA

Friday, February 2, 2018: Art of the schmooze: Strategic, effective & inclusive networking                                

Location: Curry Student Center, Room #440

Time: 9:00am - 1:00pm                       

Please Note: Additional materials fee of $15 includes facilitator’s best-selling business book: "Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences."

Career professionals know how essential networking is to career development and the job search. Meeting the right people can make all the difference and lead to new insights and possibilities. Despite knowing this, many of our clients avoid networking events because they feel awkward and uncomfortable making new connections. They miss opportunities to connect because they don't know the best way to approach people at events and/or have trouble ending conversations so they can keep circulating. Perhaps you have found this challenging as well.  

Attend this seminar and learn how clients can

• Leverage dormant connections and strategically seek new connections.
• Go from collecting stacks of business cards with no planned follow-up to learning the elements of designing a strategic networking plan that has specific and measurable goals.
• Increase the ROI of attending conferences by using time and energy more effectively and taking advantage of small networking moments. 
• Learn what being inclusive has to do with networking, how to communicate across difference, and what clients should avoid saying when first meeting someone.
• Increase knowledge in topics including
• • Strategy Starts with Mindset
  • Easy Ways to Start a Conversation
  • Graceful Exit Strategies
  • Systems to Manage Follow-Up
  • "Croissants vs. Bagels"
  • "Strength of Weak Ties"
  • The Downside to Being a Unicorn
  • Communicating Across Difference

While practical and filled with easy to implement action steps, this seminar is most often described as “dynamic, engaging, and funny.” Robbie shares “small, big ideas,” everyday ideas, which are accessible and immediately actionable and have the power to inspire significant change. 

Facilitator: Robbie Samuels has been recognized as a “networking expert” by “Inc.” and “Lifehacker,” and profiled in “Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It” by Dorie Clark. He is the author of the best-selling business book Croissants vs. Bagels: Strategic, Effective, and Inclusive Networking at Conferences. As a coach, author, and speaker he shares how to create more inclusive and engaging connections that lead to business and career opportunities. His clients are from a diverse array of industries and have included Marriott International, Harvard, PA Consulting, AmeriCorps VISTA, and the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, to name a few. A professional member of the National Speakers Association, the common thread through all of his talks is inclusive relationship-building—whether through networking, fundraising, sales, or diversity and inclusion.  Tune into On the Schmooze, his weekly podcast on leadership and networking to be inspired by the talented professionals he interviews.