11 Jam-Packed Tips To Help You Shine At Parties

Tonight’s a big night for parties and if you’re a little apprehensive or nervous about the one you’re going to later, here are a few tips and guidelines that can help you have a good time, make a good impression and develop a few social skills while you’re at it.

I admit some are a little tongue-in-cheek, but…I think it’s safe to say we’ve all seen them happen a time or two .

Tips To Help You Shine At Parties

1. Don’t arrive too early or too late. If you can’t avoid being late, it’s considerate to let the host know in advance. When you arrive at the party, make sure the host knows you’re there. A gift of wine or a non-alcoholic beverage is almost always appropriate to give to the host. Don’t crash the party with a gaggle of friends. Leave your kids at home if it’s a party for adults. If the host hasn’t specified bringing a guest is ok and (especially) if a meal is being served during the party–check with them first before bringing someone to the party with you.
2. Wear something comfortable and appropriate for the occasion. Choose an outfit that helps you feel confident about your appearance. Put some effort into how you look. Personal hygiene is a must–shower or bathe before the party, even if you did so earlier in the morning. The temperature can get quite warm when large groups of people are gathered, no one wants to smell funky. Pack breath mints. Go easy on the perfume and cologne, you could trigger someone’s allergies or overwhelm others with your fragrance. If you have a cold or feel a bug coming on, stay home to avoid being “that guy” that made everyone at the party sick.
3. Arrive with a solid decision to have a good time (yes, a lot of times it’s a choice!). Be relaxed and approachable. Take the spotlight a time or two if you like, but enjoy while others have their moment in the sun too. Accept that the karaoke machine was not invented solely for your vocal chords. Steer clear of hot topics like religion and politics. If you find yourself or others becoming defensive or abrasive about a topic, gently excuse yourself from the conversation. Keep your troubles and worries at home, stay on positive topics.
4. Play it safe and take it easy with the alcohol. If you plan on drinking, try to have a quick nap during the day and make sure you have arrangements for the ride home–don’t expect others at the party to get you home unless it’s been prearranged. Eat something before you go so you aren’t drinking on an empty stomach. Don’t be pushy or force alcohol on fellow partiers, it can make others feel uncomfortable. If you’re not a drinker or choose not to drink, it’s not polite to show a disapproving attitude toward those who choose to imbibe.
5. Don’t hover over the food table. Or the punch bowl. Keep your fingers out of the ice bucket and no double dipping! Don’t sample food while at the food table. Don’t talk with food in your mouth. Don’t smoke inside unless it’s clearly ok with the host and the other guests.
6. Don’t hog or hover over the party host, the other guests would enjoy some time with him or her too. Do something wild and crazy like–make an effort to meet someone new.
7. If you’re bringing a camera to the party, be considerate and make sure it’s ok to take a picture of someone before you do so–some people really don’t like their picture being taken, especially by someone they don’t know. Let the host know ahead of time that you’re planning on taking pictures–she may ask you to leave the camera at home.
8. Don’t complain or make sarcastic cracks about the food, music, decor or other guests, you never know who’s listening. Don’t whisper to someone in front of others. Annoyed foot tapping, eye rolling, yawning are not attractive.
9. Be respectful of personal space. Don’t stand too close to someone you don’t know, never hug someone unless you’re sure they’ll be ok with it and knowing how to give a good handshake helps make a good impression (see AskMen.com – Handshake). Approach groups of people, but be considerate and don’t intrude on two people quietly conversing.
10. If you see someone standing or sitting alone, make an attempt to have a conversation with them to help them feel more at ease. Be interesting by being interested. Listen but contribute in meaningful ways to the discussion as well. Be complimentary, not phony. Stay focused on the person you’re talking with rather than roaming the party with your eyes. Mingle with several people throughout the evening rather than carving out a corner to plant yourself in with the same small group of people all night. Be generous and make introductions where you feel each person would enjoy meeting each other. A couple tips for developing conversation skills: How To Initiate Conversation and How To Exit A Conversation. If things don’t go well, have a backup plan ready (see How To Mingle). If you’re shy and would like to work on that, see Overcoming Shyness.
11. Know when to leave–Don’t stay too late. If you’re the last one at the party–you’ve stayed too long. Before you leave, make sure the host knows you’re leaving and thank them for the evening and inviting you. Chances are it will be late at night when you’re leaving, keep the volume down low (laughter, talking) while walking to your vehicle so you don’t wake up the neighborhood. Burning tires and peeling off down the street at 2 a.m. is something you may have thought was a great idea when you were 16, but it’s not.

Have Fun!

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