A master networker explains how to single out the most interesting people at any event
Jon Levy overcame a fear of introducing himself a long time ago.
Over the past six years, he's built a network of 900 people who have attended one of his Influencer events, a forum for interesting people from a wide variety of fields to meet each other.
He's hosted everyone from Nobel laureates to Olympic athletes in his sprawling Manhattan apartment. He also has a penchant for traveling the world, and his book "The 2 AM Principle" is a collection of what he's learned as a student of human behavior.
In it, he outlines his top tips for finding the most interesting people. The next time you're at a networking event and don't want to awkwardly stand by yourself sipping a drink, look for the following, from "The 2 AM Principle":
1. "Who is laughing and enjoying themselves the most? Is there a group that is giggling and laughing and clearly having more fun than everyone else? Go have some fun with them.
2. "Who is the one person people are pretending not to look at? Scan the room and pay attention to who people stare at every few seconds while pretending to talk to their friends. If a lot of people are darting looks at the same person, there is a good chance he or she will be interesting to speak to.
3. "Who is the most put-together? I don't mean dressed sexy or proper; I mean the person who has the most style. Who has assembled an outfit that stands out? It might not be your style, but the fact that they are so put-together probably means they are up to something and are interesting.
4. "When people are standing in a circle, where are their feet pointing? I have noticed that feet tend to be directed at the person with the most social clout or the leader of the group.
5. "Who is dressed very loud? If this person didn't want to talk to others, they would have likely worn something subtler."