Many thanks to Sara Vela of Too Much Information for having me on her show yesterday. I had a blast and learned that it’s possible to drink more than five energy drinks a day without having a heart attack. In this episode we talk about social media, music videos, krazy kid marketing, Red Bull, working drunk (pros and cons) and so much more. I was just coming off a two day shoot for a music video I am shooting and haven’t slept in 70 hours, here. Enjoy!

TMI Episode 3 - Broadcast your self LIVE

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*This is the closest some of us come to real world networking. Photo by Photos o’ Randomness
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That’s right. The real world is still out there, even though we pretend it is extinct and at the end of this post, with the help of a friend, I’ll give you five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world.

I think it’s funny to see people talk about how crucial social networking is in the various virtual worlds that we all inhabit. Yet, when it comes to doing any sort of networking in the real world, those very same people are tied to the wall, sipping cocktail after cocktail and talking to no one in particular. Of course, that’s the beauty of social networking online. There’s never the pressure you feel when you walk into a large room full of people. It’s a lot easier to send a message over Facebook, than to weasel your way into a circle of people, mid-conversation, without seeming too obtrusive. If you’re the type of person that turns white every time you walk into a conference or industry mixer, then I’d like to prescribe you a healthy dose of Thom Singer (Some Assembly Required).

Thom was recently quoted in a Forbes.com article titled, “Party Your Way To A New Job.” Which is pretty much a mantra for how I live my life. Thom says this:

…….Now that you’ve got a list of people to talk with, make sure to get there on time. Arriving when there are fewer people makes it easier to get time with the party’s hosts and the board of directors. For people who feel shy about meeting strangers, getting there while the crowd is small is much easier to manage than entering a room full of 200 partiers already having a good time, says Thom Singer , author of The ABCs of Networking.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Thom the other day, as he and I are both Austinites. For an hour and a half we swapped stories about networking online and in real life. It was really nice to meet with a guy that actually “gets it.” If you’re the type of person that needs a reminder from time to time on how to connect with people in the real world, then Thom Singer is someone you should start studying. And I’m not just saying that because he wrote this flattering post about our meeting at Starbuck’s last week. Thom, you made me blush!

Subscribe to Thom’s RSS feed, as I will be guest blogging over at Some Assembly Required about finding passionate people within your organization and harnessing that passion into something of value.

For the time being, here are five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world:

1. Get rid of your business cards. I know that many of you have a couple of withered business cards that have been sitting in your wallet since 1993. I try to set a minimum at conferences depending on its size of how many I’ll hand out. I’ll put 25 business cards in my pocket and know that I can’t leave until I’ve met and passed them out to at least that many people. If you don’t hand out your business card, there’s really no point in having one, other than its neat color. Is that bone?
2. Scour the wall. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t do so well in real life social situations, then find someone else that is more terrified than you. Look along the outskirts of the room you’re in and find the people that are keeping to themselves, pounding cocktails. They’re more nervous than you and desperately want someone to talk with. Introduce yourself and find out what they do, then tell them what you do. Now, you can attack the rest of the room as a team. You can introduce him/her to everyone and he/she can introduce you. You’re like the dynamic duo!
3. Start smoking. Now, I think smoking is a filthy habit, but it certainly allows for membership to a unique networking opportunity. If you can stand the secondhand smoke killing you early, then head outside from time to time and mingle with the smoking crowd. Learn to always carry matches (a lot classier than a lighter), so that you can be someone’s savior when they forget theirs. Smoking is the one activity that will always put lower level customer service reps in the same room and conversation as their nicotine loving CEO.
4. Know your elevator pitch. If you’re going to a conference or mixer, someone is going to ask you what you do. Have something prepared! It amazes me how many people cannot tell me what they do without stumbling all over their words and sounding like an idiot. Practice in a mirror or with friends your two sentence elevator pitch of who you are and what you do. It never hurts to throw in a joke if you’re good at that sort of thing. What really matters is that you sound like you love what you do and say your pitch with enthusiasm and passion. People eat that sort of thing up.
5. Memorize the lay of the land. People don’t realize this, but knowing where you are, what the event is about and where the restrooms are located can be some of the best conversation starters out there. Before you go to an event, learn the background information on it, who the hosting parties are, where they work and what they’re all about. It’s amazing how just having the answer to the most basic of event questions makes you seem like you’re a conference expert. Do a little homework and you’ll be the goto guy for event information, history, conversation and potty breaks.
6. BONUS: Follow up. This is the most important one, but many people never take the time to do this. After a conference or mixer, you’re hopefully holding quite a few new contact names, numbers, emails, etc. When your hangover wears off, do some quick research and find out some additional information about the people you met. Then, send them an e.mail and tell them that you enjoyed meeting them. I usually try to find a blog entry that I have written that might relate to their particular industry or work situation and enclose this with my email. This quick, friendly reminder is a nice way to further your conversation with that particular person and make sure that they do not forget who you are in the future.

This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop at five (plus a Follow Up bonus). If you’re looking for more excellent ways to network in the real world, head on over to Thom’s blog or pick up a copy of his book, The ABCs of Networking. If you think you’re a networking expert, why don’t you share some of your proven strategies in the comments section. How do you go about starting conversations with people in real life? Better yet, how is networking in real life similar or different than networking online in a virtual world? How has networking online changed the way you network in the real world? Your thoughts, as always, are what makes this blog valuable. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

P.S. If you were wondering, other than Thom Singer’s advice, I learned everything I know about networking at a party from this video. Enjoy!

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I’ve been slacking on the blogging, but fortunately, more and more of you continue to subscribe every day. Thanks! Just to give you an excuse as to why I haven’t been blogging everyday, I decided to record a quick little video explaining a few of the things I’m up to these days and a special treat…an old love sonnet I wrote to Jennie Kalinec (a girl I rarely talked to) in the 8th grade. Between that and my ridiculous headband, touting my love of the NBA, you’ll see what a big loser I really am. Enjoy!

That’s right! We’re filming Sounds Under Radio and Alice in Chains at Antone’s tonight! Come on out, doors at 8pm. And yes, we’re filming two new music videos for the Dirty Wormz, so stay tuned for vlogs from set.

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Steve Rubel over at AdAge wrote an interesting article today about the rise of the Geek Marketer, which I think is a great term for what I and many others do in their day to day lives.

Steve explains a geek marketer this way:

These cross-trained specialists are fluent in both worlds and bridge them [technology and marketing]. They are marketers by trade, yet they also have a hard-core interest in technology and social anthropology. As curious individuals, they are constantly studying how digital advances are changing our culture and media. Armed with these insights, they regularly apply them in a marketing context by working closely with brand teams to codify new best practices.

In any given day, whether I’m shooting a new commerical or video, or just meeting with clients about new ways to approach their marketing strategies, I am constantly thinking about new and innovative ways to incorporate marketing with interesting technology. I feel there is a strong tie between the two and that a perfect marriage is the best way to approach any campaign.

So, thanks to Steve’s new term, I’m now not only Geek Sheik, but a Geek Marketer, as well. Being a geek is definitely cool, again. How are you implementing technology into your marketing campaign? Would a change of technology make your campaigns more efficient? How are you incorporating social media into your company’s marketing strategy?

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My senior year in high school, I spent a week designing a giant Milk carton to resemble that of a popular ad campaign of the time. I have always loved the world of advertising and marketing. This blog is a way for me to vent the thoughts of a twenty-something male, living in a world that is teeming with brand messages.

I often get carried away and want to go back to the future, though I’ve yet to go for the first time. One of my most supernatural experiences happened in the bathroom of a Steak & Ale. The other was watching Captain EO in 3D at Disneyland when I was six.

People that attend college and then never open another book, frustrate me. That frustration turns into annoyance when they think they are smarter than me because they have a framed sheet of paper. That annoyance turns to earnest indignation when that person’s “sheet of paper” is from Hamburger University.

Before I die, I’d like to take a crack at being President of the United States of America. Either that, or maybe just play the President on television. Apply that same formula to: doctor, astronaut, Olympic athlete, gunfighter and Santa Clause.

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In 2005, Jon Ray founded Suited Productions, a media production and marketing company based in Austin, Texas. Since then, he has produced countless commercials, music videos and internet video packages for local and regional clients. His last short film, The Anatomy of a Frog, won a Texas Film Production Fund grant. He is currently working with Saatchi & Saatchi, L.A., as an internet marketing consultant. He has starred in 16 national Toyota commercials under this same agency’s campaign, Toyota presents Jon and JJ: The Line of Scrimmage.

As an actor, Jon Ray has appeared in multiple national and regional commercial campaigns; he has starred in a regional feature film, several award-winning short films, hosted a music television show and appeared on MTV several times (Fresh New Look, TRL, Room Raiders, MTV Movie Awards 2007). He has representation through Collier Talent Agency and is actively seeking work.

Yes, this is also now copy and pasted into the About Me section of the site for you to reference at any time. But, I figured it would be a good kickoff post for those that don’t ever read the About Me section. Your feedback is going to be what, ultimately, molds this blog into something fun. Otherwise, it’s just going to be me sitting here in the middle of the night watching late night Gi*ls Go*e Wi*d (don’t want them getting any SEO from me) ads and wishing I had my own tropical island.

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