Taking Your Leave
You shift your weight from one foot to the other. The person you have just met is very interesting, but you are probably thinking about meeting other new people too. How do you leave the conversation without offending the person and yet remain amiable in their minds?
Exiting
Here are some effective tactics:
- Exchange cards and express your interest in continuing to mingle.
- Set up an appointment to call or meet in the future.
- Excuse yourself shortly after another has joined the conversation.
- Introduce your new contact to someone else that you know.
- Suggest you both go get a drink and meet some new people in line.
- Express pleasure at having met the individual and the hope that you will meet again soon.
Keep the comments and mannerisms positive and cheerful. Tone and body language play a more important role in your conversation closing than the words themselves. Leave a conversation with a smile, handshake and offer to help.
Follow up
Keep Your Word. Following through is the most important step but yet, it is the least done. A negative impression is created when someone does not commit to what they have promised. Do not make promises or commitments you cannot deliver. If you promised that you will give the person a call, then please do so. Relationships are built on trust and credibility, therefore keeping your word all the time will make you stand out.
Methods
Telephone. Use phone calls when you want to communicate your energy and attitude. Smile when you speak; your voice will reveal your state of mind.
Email. Craft a clear subject line to get through the spam filters. Watch your spelling and grammar; most employers do not like deciphering somthin’ tt l00ks like dis either.
Image: Flickr/Outdoor Exit Sign
i’m not so sure of how exactly to carry that out. Of course theoretically, it is obvious that we have to do the follow-up or exit a conversation gracefully. are that any sentences or specific body language that you may be able to suggest for me to use?
I really like the way the article highlights the exit of a conversation to be graceful AND positive. I believe it is to the benefit of the exit-er to leave the conversation before it begins to wind down to the point of awkward silence (but of course not soon after the conversation hardly begins too). Firstly, that maximizes the networking opportunity and more importantly leverage on the impression of a positive sounding end note/impression.
Regarding the specific sentences or body language, I guess one could start from replying to the someone’s conversation before “signaling” his/her exit by a change of posture/gesture followed by “It was great talking to you, Mr/Ms XX. etc. etc.”? Just don’t act like you are in a absolute haste to exit.
Hope it helps!
As for following up, I think a note or email which says “Thank you for talking to me the other day regarding abcdefg. It was a pleasure meeting you. Let me know if there are any opportunities that can be explored in your company.” is not too bad a start.
As for following up, I think a note or email which says “Thank you for talking to me the other day regarding abcdefg. It was a pleasure meeting you. Let me know if there are any opportunities that can be explored in your company.” is not too bad a start.