Saying "nice to meet you" is risky if you've previously met someone, creating an embarrassing situation. The phrase "great to see you" works whether it's your first or fifth meeting, gracefully avoiding the potential awkwardness of forgetting a prior interaction.

Reframe your networking requests. Asking for a "referral" implies a strong endorsement and makes people uncomfortable. Asking for an "introduction" is a lower-stakes request that is much easier for your contacts to fulfill, dramatically increasing your chances of success.

A "callback" is a reference to a point made earlier in a conversation. It's a powerful tool for building rapport because it proves you were actively listening and retaining information, not just hearing words. It signals high engagement and cleverness.

Proper etiquette isn't just about politeness; it's a practical skill for managing stress and projecting calm confidence in high-stakes environments. This mindset helps you appear more trustworthy and approachable, preventing you from seeming desperate or transactional.

If your natural communication style can be misconstrued (e.g., direct, quiet, transactional), preface interactions by explicitly stating it. For example, "I tend to go straight to action mode." This provides crucial context, manages others' perceptions, and gives you permission to be authentic.

Genuine rapport isn't built on small talk; it's built by recognizing and addressing the other person's immediate emotional state. To connect, you must first help them with what's on their mind before introducing your own agenda.

Instead of answering 'What do you do?' with just a job title, create opportunities for serendipity by offering multiple 'hooks'—mentioning a hobby, a side project, or a recent interest. This gives the other person several potential points of connection, dramatically increasing the chances of an unexpected, valuable interaction.

If you get flustered or forget your point while speaking, deploy a pre-planned 'back pocket question' to the audience. This tactic shifts the focus away from you, buys you time to regroup, and makes you appear engaging rather than disorganized. For example: 'How can we apply this to what's coming up next?'

Effective spontaneous responses require listening beyond just words. Use the 'Pace, Space, Grace' framework: slow down your urge to respond immediately (Pace), create mental distance to see the larger context (Space), and give yourself permission to trust your intuition about the situation (Grace).