Wow do you STINK!

skunkHowdy Gang!  Casey here with a little story that happened to me at a recent trip to an evening Chamber of Commerce mixer.  Considering I write this blog called The Ideal Networker it is always amazing to me what I see out in the market place.  So let me set the scene.  When you arrived at this mixer you had to sign in at your table (it happened to be a multi Chamber Mixer) and then we were shown into the room where the event was held.  When I was led into the room I was quite literally ATACKED by a lady who said she has heard of me (I admit I was flattered at first) and wanted to “pick my brain” on networking.  That should have been my first clue but I am still a sucker after all! 

Let’s call her Sally (I don’t know why but Sally Struthers just popped into my head).  Sally pulled me over into a corner and proceeded to start her version of “picking” which quite literally meant asking me every question she could about how to get into my network.  Turn off #1.  Turn off #2 which is why I grabbed the picture of a skunk was that she was wearing so much perfume I think I still smell it and the event was last week!  By the way…….it STUNK like wet hair and nursing home!  Now, what she did not know was that I am seriously allergic to hideous smells and upon inhaling her stench I started coughing!  I could go on here but I won’t.  Here is the bottom line for those of you out in the networking scene.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not wear perfume, cologne, or anything with a strong odor.  It is repelling and can cause the person you are with quite literally choke to death. 

Now, to avoid her, I excused myself into the restaurant where I saw another friend who had the EXACT same comment!  We laughed for the next couple of hours and networked our butts off with the folks leaving the mixer while enjoying a frosty beer.  I hope you never have some one’s internal monologue saying “Wow, do you stink!”

Lisa Cooke - April 9, 2009

Hey Casey,
….and don’t forget to brush AND floss before an event and take a tin of mints with you, too….nothing worse than bad breath….

Voice Talent - April 18, 2009

Great article! Thanks for sharing it.

Judith Cassis - May 16, 2009

I’m with you on this Casey! The other day I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen for awhile. I smelled her coming from 4 feet away. We hugged and chatted and I thought about her for the rest of the day. Why? Because I smelled like her! After a brief hug, the scent of her perfume clung to me – more than I would ever have put on intentionally.

Matthew - June 21, 2009

Networking events are generally fun, but you are forever getting cornered by people you’d rather not spend too much time with. It seems to me that there is a certain window of time in which you can politely move out of a conversation, but if you let go too long you get stuck.

Marsha Martinez - July 28, 2009

I am the same way, and what is worse is that I actually have fibromyagia, and it gives me pain. Peoples just don’t understand. Do they know it is mostly gasoline in their perfumes…..In my opinion it could be causing cancer, smelling that all day. People try something organic, it smells much better. Oh, did I say Arbonne has a great lotions and potions……:)

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