Schmoozing runs quite the wide gamut.
On the one side there are very casual and practically harmless comments or actions which can potentially result in the other party feeling good about themselves or perhaps even slightly open the door of trust.
The other end of the meter (something I’ve written about and talked about previously) are actions which are over-calculated, overzealous and often overextending professional boundaries. In this case you run the risk of the recipient being left with a dirty and cheap feeling of being used or lied to.
There are an orchestra of examples of what would fall onto this gamut; some close to one end, some close to the other and a lot in the middle as shades of gray.
The essence of developing and building relationships to grow your business is not, nor should it ever be, cast in cheap and outdated sales tactics or sour attempts to obtain favor.
Instead, the foundation of your efforts must be genuine; not an amplified version of fallacy. A transparent view that your goals are not purely based in self-interest.
At the end of the day, all people hire people they like and enjoy working with, not those who left a disdained impression.
James Patrick
jamespatrick.com
Twitter @jpphotography
Instagram @jpatrickphoto
