This is part two of a post by my friend and fellow Tweeter, Greg Magnusson DVM is anIndianapolis Veterinarian and owner of Leo’s Pet Care.  Part one is on the Blog for Lipstick on The Rim.

Greg is a prime example of why it is important to have a good social networking strategy.  I met Greg on Twitter, later I met him in person at a Tweetup during the Super Bowl.  Of course we hit is right off, we already knew each other from our online connections.  When we met offline the relationship was already much further along.  One of the things that we had in common was our fondness for a good beer and how beer is often seen at networking events.  Below is a great post of what not to do when networking and drinking beer.

Here’s how not to network with beer:

1. You’re three brews in before the other party takes a sip. If you wanted to get drunk, do it in the privacy of your own home or at the bar with your buddies. Even off duty, you’ve got the same name, and the same reputation to uphold.
2. If the other party is holding a cheap watery beer, resist the urge to tell them how terribly said beer sucks. It does you no good to insult someone’s taste.
3. At no point attempt to demonstrate your superior knowledge of hops, barley and water. Nobody is at this function to learn how much you know about beer.
4. Never be the first guy with a lampshade on your head. Further, before you allow yourself to be photographed, consider that photo will end up on every screen in the city for weeks to come.
5. Don’t drink just to give yourself an excuse to say dumb stuff you’ve always wanted to say to someone but common courtesy had previously prevented you. Nobody buys the excuse that you called your boss a jerk “because of the beer”.
6. If beer makes you surly and rude, don’t drink at networking events. Be honest with yourself. Surely by now you know your response to beer, right?
7. Never drink so much that you don’t remember who you were talking to or what they said.
8. Mind your manners, hitting on the opposite sex is not a good idea when you are drinking at a networking event, it will damage your reputation.

Nothing can ruin your credibility faster with those who you are networking with than breaking the rules above.  How many times have you been at a networking event or even a party with co-workers and watched that one person get so drunk and do something completely offensive.  Drinking let’s your barriers down