The Art of Shmoozin'

Mock-Networking Scenario Contest Format & Rules

Objective: The purpose of this challenge is to give college students the opportunity to
learn and become comfortable with important networking skills that they will
need to advance their careers as communications professionals.

1) During ticket sales and promotions for each event, students will be required to either create or buy personal business cards with their most useful contact information. (20 points)
2) During the event, participants in competition must go through the following steps with other guests: (30 points)
a. Openness: Start a conversation about anything. (10 points)
b. Steering: During the conversation… (10 points)
i. Find similarities
ii. Show you care about what he/ she is talking about
iii. Get to know someone before you ask about business.
c. Closing: Recap Conversation… (10 points)
i. Exchange business cards and/ or contact information.
ii. Remember key points about people; a great way to do this is by writing things down on their business card when you get home.
3) After the event, KEEP IN CONTACT! (50 points)

Key Points:

ü Be a go getter!
ü Always display confidence, even if you have to fake it!
ü Beat people up with your name!
ü If you don’t go get it, it’s not coming to you!
ü Never forget to FOLLOW UP!!!
4) After each event, participants must email a copy of their business card, examples of all credit-worthy conversations and examples of how they are keeping in contact to chapterdevelopmentprssa.fiu@gmail.com.
5) Each event is worth a total of 100 points. Bonus points will be given for emails forwarded to chapterdevelopmentprssa.fiu@gmail.com of outside networking students participate in throughout the semester. Each outside networking situation is worth 10 points and participants are allowed up to 100 bonus points.
6) At the End of the Year ICC Banquet, winners will be awarded a $15 gas card as well as a shadow day with Marvin DeJean. Winners of this competition will also receive the Best Networker Award from the Public Relations Student Society of America.

The mock-networking scenario events will be planned by the event planning committee under the chapter development team during event planning workshops.