How to Work a Room

Episode 23: How to Work a Room
Guest: Susan RoAne

For many of us, the mere thought of a networking event causes sweaty palms and a racing heart. Susan RoAne, author of How to Work a Room, joins us on this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street to share how we can float gracefully through a room and give a lasting first impression.

On this episode, Susan explains the distinction between networking and working a room—as you’ll discover, there are some big differences! Working a room involves socializing and making people feel welcome, while networking is about the follow-up.

So how exactly do you work a room? Put yourself in the shoes of the nervous person standing in the corner (because we’ve all been there, right?) Think about how to make others feel comfortable, whether it’s striking up a conversation with someone standing alone, or simply taking a step back to let someone into a conversation circle. As Susan says, if we can get past our own nerves and take on the responsibility of helping other people relax, it makes mingling much easier and more enjoyable.

On this episode, Susan also covers other tricky questions such as, “How do I join a conversation during an event?” and “How do I politely exit a conversation?” Hope you enjoy her tips! For more about Susan’s work, visit her website athttp://www.susanroane.com/, email her at susan@susanroane.com, or give her a call at (415) 461-3915. Also, be sure to check out Susan’s other books includingHow to Create Your Own Luck, The Secrets of Savvy Networking, and Face to Face: How to Reclaim the Personal Touch in a Digital World. And Susan asks that we support independent bookstores when purchasing her books and others (shout-out to Powell’s Books in Portland!)

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Next up is Maureen Adolf, president FWA New York with a look at women’s internal networks.