The Social Advantage offering focuses on developing and strengthening interpersonal relationships during social interactions. Whether networking, socializing at a business event, confidently hosting a party, or sharing an intimate dinner with a friend, the skills learned in this offering are aimed at creating that competitive edge so essential to success.

• Creating Personal Presence
  • The importance of first impressions
  • Proper posture
  • Eye contact
  • Walking properly
  • Degrees of formality
  • Respect and hierarchy
  • Use of hand gestures in communication
  • Guiding hand technique
  • Opening a door in public
  • Opening and closing a door quietly
• Greetings
  • Proper introductions
  • Proper forms of address
  • Using titles
  • Shaking hands
  • Taking a guests coat off and putting it on
  • Doing homework on who you are meeting to help with introductions
  • Introducing yourself with a 15 second sound bite
• The Art of Conversation
  • Rules of conversation
  • Different types of conversation
  • Opening topics of conversation
  • Directing conversation
  • Conversation at small or large functions
  • If silence, then what
  • Cutting in on a conversation
  • Excusing yourself from a conversation
  • Compliments, giving and receiving
  • Active listening: the two way process of conversation and information
  • Importances of small talk; start a "mental rolodex"
  • Body language; projecting confidence
  • How to use interpersonal space or territory
  • Closing a conversation
  • Communicating in public and private
• Networking
• What networks do for you
• How to build a network
• Principles of networking
• Core behaviors and principles for building successful networks
• Different types of networks
• Practical tips and techniques of networking
• Practical psychology of dealing with people
• Strategies for working a room
• Business and social card etiquette
• Telephone and cell phone etiquette
• Maintaining your network
• Diversity in networking; your people resource
• Qualifying a contact
• Promoting yourself with a 15 second sound bite
• Restaurant Savvy
  • Selecting a restaurant
  • Establishing yourself with a restaurant
  • Making reservations
  • Understanding different types of table service
  • Seating your guests
  • Ordering from a menu
  • Ordering from a wine list
  • Consuming alcoholic beverages
  • Non-alcoholic beverage options
  • Home field advantage; using establishment as your home for business and entertaining
  • Cultivating staff
  • Acquiring special services
  • Paying the bill
  • Tipping for services
• Table Manners (Continental style)
• Understanding table settings
• Proper use of silverware
• Proper use of cutlery
• Proper use of stemware
• Proper use of napkins
• Proper way to eat different foods
• The wine ritual
• Conversation at the table
• Pacing the meal
• Dealing with accidents and awkward situations
• Posture at the table
• Party Etiquette
• Receiving and responding to invitations
• Role of a host or hostess at a party
• Greeting your guests
• Role of a guest at a party
• Arriving at a party
• Proposing a toast
• Dealing with service staff and servants
• Dealing with difficult guests
  • The diva
  • The drunken guest
  • The bore
  • The quarrelling
  • The gossip monger
• Departures from a party
• Thank you notes or calls (when is a card important, or can a call the next day suffice – what about email)