As I tried to balance truffle fries and a glass of water last night at a networking event, I was reminded (a little too late) of this great video from Jason Seiden. His website has all sorts of career and life tips, but this one, shared with me by my friend Abby, is the most valuable one I’ve seen so far:
I have to say, learning to eat with my left hand and drink with my right takes some getting used to (aka I have not come anywhere near to mastering it yet) but the idea is great and it’s nice to have something to work on, especially if that something keeps you from having sticky hands when an important handshake is in your future.
His follow-up on “how to drink without getting drunk” is pretty great too, even though I was already doing it. (Let’s hear it for seltzer water! Woohoo!)
Sally and the City 
I love this tip!
Here’s another one for you. When holding a cold drink at networking events, always hold it in your left hand. Otherwise your handshake is cold and damp. Real turn off to new acquaintances.
@Sally—Mmm… truffle fries. Nom nom nom.
@Susan—The alternative to the wet hand is this: take the cocktail napkin, fold it over twice, then wrap it around your glass. Now, hold the napkin, and voila, your hand stays dry.
(BTW, the moisture will keep the napkin pinned to the glass.)
I went to another networking event tonight, and worked on this trick – it was much easier after some practice! And as a bonus, because I was being thoughtful about how much I held, I always had a hand free when someone came by with tasty appetizers, as opposed to some friends who were already balancing two or more things.
@Susan, thanks for your suggestion! I tend to think that starting with a solid handshake is more important than what temperature it’s at, but it’s food to think about. And @Jason, thanks for your solution!
Next conundrum: What should you do you’re one of very few people at the event without a nametag? How can you make it less awkward and still get your name out there?