THE REAL RULES OF NETWORKING

Now, as we all know, networking is a hugely integral part of any business. It’s about making connections and keeping those connections growing. You can network with anyone from your dog groomer to a high level CEO (if you’re lucky enough to meet one!) Now, as we all know, networking is a hugely integral part of any business. It’s about making connections and keeping those connections growing. You can network with anyone from your dog groomer to a high level CEO (if you’re lucky enough to meet one!) Everyone knows the typical version of “Networking Tips,” dress for success, have a firm handshake, don’t monopolize the conversation, etc., but to most people these are pretty much common sense. Here are a couple of things you may NOT have thought about in regards to networking. Here are some tips to keep your mind open to networking in unexpected places. 1. You can network anywhere, anytime, with anyone. You never know who you’re going to meet or who someone you meet might know. Be open to opportunities whenever and wherever they may arise. 2. Looks can be deceiving. Just because someone isn’t dressed to the 9’s, doesn’t mean that you aren’t a useful connection to one  another. 3. Networking can be done anywhere. At a specialized “mixer” or at your kids soccer game. Always keep yourself open. 4. It’s not always about what someone can do for you. Pay it forward and at some point it will come back to you. It’s better to be   owed a favor than to owe one! 5. Be approachable and friendly. Whenever you step out of your house you never know who you could meet, so be friendly and be someone people want to talk to. 6. Don’t tune out because someone is in a different field than you. Many people have multiple needs in their businesses and may be able to recommend you to a client or friend. 7. Don’t assume. Assumptions lead to missed opportunities, and no one likes that! These are just a few tips to keep in mind. Whenever you’re out, treat everyone you meet as if they’re a future business opportunity, you never know who you might meet!

IS MEXICO THE NEXT GENERATION?

With new meeting rooms and a 25,300 sq ft convention centre, it is easy to see why Huatulco, Mexico is the new hot spot for company meetings and teambuilding sessions. There is always something for everyone here. “Today’s meeting trends are boutique hotels, designer resorts, modern art and architecture” states Prevue magazine. In the heart of Huatulco, Mexico is beautiful, sparkling Tandolunda Bay. Tandolunda Bay is a lovely spot where the most sophisticated resorts are set along the coastline. A former fishing village, this quiet and laid back nine-bay region preserves and promotes an authentic Mexican experience. With the Mexican Pipeline (Puerto Escondido), snorkeling, turtle releases and regional specialties, it’s hard not to see why the masses are coming to this funky market town for company meeting. There are several resorts in the area that cater to such company meetings, one of the most exciting being Hotel Quinta Real Huatulco, which is poised right on the hillside of Huatulco. Here, groups can rent multiple catamarans for up to three hundred people and teambuilding sailboat regattas can hold up to one hundred and fifty people. “It’s great because it’s the first time for many people to learn how to sail a boat on their own,” says sales manager Susana Goche. “They have more fun when they’re actually holding the sails and steering the boat. ”Planners for company meetings “often request excursions that include interaction with the locals, such as the Amazing Farming Race and the Jeep Rally to San Sebastian tour. The Amazing Race is when participants visit different working ranches and learn how to saddle horses and ride them, and play games where they run and catch chickens and rabbits. In the Jeep Rally to San Sebastian tour, groups are divided up to walk around the mountain village, where no one speaks English, and ask a series of prescribed questions. The quickest group back with the correct answers wins.” (Dawna L. Robertson, Prevue Magazine) With new meeting rooms and a 25,300 sq ft convention centre, it is easy to see why Huatulco, Mexico is the new hot spot for company meetings and teambuilding sessions. There is always something for everyone here.