A great night with Lynne presenting her dining skills program at the St. Andrews Club in Toronto

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Professional Image and Performance Networking Skills program for The Hamdy Smith Group, a Scotia Wealth Management team, at Toronto’s National Club

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Lynne was pleased to present her Professional Image and Performance Networking Skills program for The Hamdy Smith Group, a Scotia Wealth Management team, at Toronto’s National Club.

This group of successful wealth professionals are no strangers to the competitive demands of their profession. And they clearly appreciate the nuances of presenting themselves both in appearance and behavior to their best advantage. It’s always great to interact with professionals at this level…simply because they really understand the impact the little things can make.

Our time together, albeit short, was educational and supportive. We explored, discussed and practiced,

  • Creating a positive emotional connection with those we meet at professional/social functions
  • How our appearance enhances, or undermines, our credibility in the eyes of others (we even did colours!)
  • The nuances of meeting clients in different settings: office/home, galas, sporting events, etc.
  • Social protocols and dining etiquette with a mind to focus on the client and opportunity rather than our own behaviors

Our professional lives are busy and full of competing demands. It’s important that we are professionally knowledgeable, tech savvy, excellent communicators, emotionally intelligent, caring and committed, etc., etc. Our hope, and goal, at Mackay Byrne Group is to give professionals the skills to be comfortable and confident within themselves as a foundation to flourish in their careers.

The Art of Hosting

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Being the host of a professional social event is an exciting and high profile way to make an impression on clients, peers, industry leaders, your professional community, etc. Be sure to make this impression outstanding by learning the essential requirements of host behaviors: before, during, and after the event. Cover your bases with pre-event planning: everything from logistics to back-up plans for the unexpected. Cultivate an attitude that exudes calm professionalism; learn diplomatic assertion to keep things on track; and, be attentive to the wide variety of participants’ needs, including gender and cultural differences.

When an event runs smoothly, and participants (attendees, speakers, VIPS, etc.) are made to feel comfortable and engaged with meaningful material, the host organization is seen to have pulled off something very special. Make extraordinary a ‘matter of course’ for you and your team when hosting events. This session provides us with the insights and practical strategies to make the most of our hosting opportunities.