Field Report #2 A young professionals networking event

Today I had a last minute opportunity to sarge in another non-disco event although it took place in a fairly swank hotel bar/lounge. It was a networking event for a young professionals group, sort of like a chamber of commerce but for the under-40 set. So I get there and the place is fairly packed. It's also big - much bigger than I thought for a fairly small city that I live in. It was far from a target rich environment, but there are a lot of people, lots and lots of AFCs and a good range of cute girls. For an under 40 event, this place had a lot of gate crashers too - as in older men AND women.

So I start talking with a girl who's a little beastly but obviously fun. She has that "I'm from New York" bitch attitude going which I fucking hate. Every female New Yorker I've met outside of that state does it - they will never the hell shut up about being from New York. Whatever - she's mildly amusing to talk to and a boatload of a lot of fun to neg. She was the warmup convo.

I pass her off to some web designer guy and transition to open a nearby two-set of 20-something ladies who were sitting on a sofa chatting amongst themselves by a fireplace. Both were probably mid-20s and hot (8s) in an artsy chick sort of way. Instant rapport. Sadly, turns out they're very open about being lesbians (and girlfriends with each other) but both of them want me to quote some work for them for their respective businesses, so that was a score. They were very willing with their info, so maybe a threeway? Ha! The most hilarious thing was that during our interaction, this total AFC from a catering company barges in on our conversation like a total tool, drops two business cards on the coffee table for the ladies and ignores me then tries to just run away. I challenge him, saying "hey dude, you got a card for me?" He looks at the girls then gives me a completely chumpy shrug and smile. I whisper in a loud voice "dude, they're not interested in you," but Chumpy doesn't get it and the girls get a chuckle. Natural exit.

I did some business mingling with guys which was really good - got a lot of good contacts. After figuring I was done for the night, I spot and open a three set with two girls and a guy by approaching the guy first and introducing myself. I chatted with him a bit about his business, told him about mine, (he was an AFC but was trying very hard to act cool) and then segued into convo with the ladies. Turns out they're both massage therapists. Yah! And neither is with the guy - they all just met. One was a chub but pretty and the other one was slim but a weak 7 strong 6. AFC dude starts clamoring to go on one of the tours of the conference rooms/luxury suites, but 7 girl is now caught in convo by a creepy insurance salesman and I go very lightly kino her and break her free. Now as a four set we tour the hotel with a sales lady. I kino the 7 a bit more in the hallway walking down, and get her tangled up in these balloons they had spread out all over the place. The whole time is negs and laughter, although AFC dude's looking nervous like he has a lot invested in talking with this 7 and I'm fucking up his non-existent game. We tour a presidential suite, and I stand next to the windows to get a view of the harbor from the 7th floor (pretty sweet view). I motion to 7 girl and she comes bounding over beside me oozing with IOI looking at the view. After the tour, we all exchange biz cards and AFC dude splits abruptly, but 7 girl takes back her business card and writes her personal email on the back. Ding! They take off. I close up some business with an associate that I met up with there and head out myself.

Lessons learned:

I was only there two hours but I opened a lot (some was with guys but it was good practice), opened three sets with girls, #closed twice (granted the first close was with lesbians but hey whatever), and made some good business contacts. Not a bad night for sort of a last minute thing. They supposedly have these young professionals nights pretty regularly, so I'm definitely keeping my eyes out.

The one thing I noticed tonight that I have never felt before is I didn't have any approach anxiety at all. I just scoped out some targets, went up and extended my hand, introduced myself and started talking. By the end of the two hours I was on a roll and I didn't want it to end even though the place was emptying out. I know my game will need to be taken up a couple of notches in the club. Tonight everyone had on the polite appearance of a business person and the common goal of networking, so it was a pretty safe place to sarge. I also used it as an opportunity to practice being a wing, as I took my awkward friend around and introduced him to people I had just met. Probably scored some DHV and LOM points there, and opening up a set with a female right out of the gate probably helped with social proof, even if she wasn't that cute. In hindsight I could have moved her around the room and used her as a pawn to open sets, but her personality was so grating it became hard not to punch her.

One thing I didn't do is intentionally IOI the that massage therapist as we moved into A3 but I guess I didn't need to in this environment to still #/email close with her. I also need to work on routines and material so that conversation never drags.