Making business contacts doesn’t have to be a stiff affair, says a Salzburg-based management consultant and trainer – and invites you to the dance floor for after-work fun.
Silvia Faulhammer likes to see herself as a person who brings others together. This is exactly what the consultant and trainer intends to do with her new after-work format “Success Soirée”, which invites women in the city of Salzburg to network, philosophize and celebrate at Club Balboa for the first time on July 25th.
Ms. Faulhammer, what does dancing have to do with career? Silvia Faulhammer: Dancing means lightness; you get moving – just like in business. Both require courage because you have to be visible. And when we dance, we can celebrate our successes together!
With the “Success Soirée” you choose an approach to networking that promises ease and joy. Why are these skills needed in the working world? It is generally important to enjoy what you do. In business too. I know that is not always easy. But the more compulsive you are, for example in acquisition, the less people come through the door. That is why the “Success Soirée” gives women a space and framework in which they can applaud each other, celebrate and grow.
Why is it so important that women support each other? As a self-employed person or at a certain position, you often lack a sparring partner. You think you are alone when it comes to questions like pricing or balancing work and family. It is always good to have a woman with whom you can talk on an equal footing and from whom you can learn because she has already successfully overcome a challenge that you are currently facing. And new perspectives can’t hurt anyway!
What can networkers expect from the first edition of the “Success Soirée”? I feel that networking events are often a little awkward. You walk from one bar table to the next, exchange business cards, and wear a costume. These barriers are eliminated here. And of course there are cocktails, finger food, and a DJ to get the mood going. We were also able to get the trainer and author Gabriele Wimmler to give the keynote speech. She will speak about two topics that concern many women: authenticity and courage.
The event grew out of the business blind date format “eat & spread”, where you and your coach colleague Ute Zischinsky bring women together once a month for a shared lunch break. Why are informal formats like this particularly suitable for networking? The easier and less rigid it is, the deeper conversations and more genuine exchanges are possible. There is something magical about our lunchtime meetings because there is no obligation, no pitching, no trying to sell something, it is about real connections, about goodwill. I go home from these meetings with a good thought, a feeling of affirmation and the experience that others feel the same way as I do. For me it is like wellness! On lunch dates we make sure that we do not exceed the number of eight. Experience has shown that a meeting breaks down into smaller conversations after that.
For some people, networking sometimes means overcoming their own barriers. What are your tips for this? The best thing to do is to simply look around: Where is there a friendly smile, an open attitude? And then go where the energy draws you. When it comes to speaking to role models whose book you have read or whose keynote you have heard, it helps to flip a switch in your head: I am also happy when someone speaks to me in a friendly way. You can give yourself a push! For those new to the network, it can be helpful to take a good friend with you to the first few events. This makes you feel stronger and you can give each other a boost.
What has to happen for you to be able to say that the “Success Soirée” was a success for you? If I see a lot of happy faces in a well-filled club, I organize the format once a quarter. Because there are a lot of great women in my network who I want to give a stage to!
Summer Success Evening, Thursday, July 25, 2024, 6 p.m., Club Balboa, Salzburg. More information & registration: www.desenz.at/success-soiree
2024-07-19 22:00:00