Can a funeral ever be considered a "networking" opportunity?
 

Of course, I don't mean going up to people and giving them your business card, but if the thought occurs to you "alot of industry people I haven't seen in a while will be there" does that make you a bad person?

Does it make you a bad person? If it's a close family member--probably. If it's just an acquaintance--probably not.

Funerals are for the living, and it's one of the ways we cement our personal relationships. Business relationships are an extension of that, but if it's your grandmother's funeral or something, you should be concentrating on her and your family, and not your business.

I vote that it doesn't. Lots of people think of funerals as an excuse to get together with relatives they wouldn't otherwise see very often. All social gatherings are forms of networking, IMHO.

It depends on how you approach it. If, as they lower the coffin into the grave you start the conversation with "And speaking of being in the hole..." it might be considered tacky.

ObTasteless: It depends on how young & attractive the widow is.

There's always chatter after the funeral where people talk about themselves and what they've been up to. If that leads to something else then where's the problem?

At the funeral I was at during the week we were all discussing what to do about the business because the person who died was the manager. Names were tossed about and all the rest of it. Maybe that was bad taste, but when it all comes down to it, the business needs to keep running as smoothly as possible because other people rely on it as their source of income.

Anyway, networking is just talking and putting yourself out there. There's nothing wrong with that under any circumstance imo.

Haven't you seen Yes, Prime Minister?

A good international funeral is worth a month of high level meetings.

I don't think it makes you a bad person, but maybe it shouldn't be the only reason you attend.

Come with a stack of resumes, pass them out or leave them next to the little memorial cards people can pick up about the dead person. You are bound to be a hit and it will at least get everyone to start talking about you.

or; it depends on who you murder!

A funeral means there's a job opening somewhere. Why not network. :)

It depends on the business, I think. For example:

Funeral Patron: He looks good, so peaceful...

You: Yeah, that's not a bad looking stiff. Speaking of stiffs, do you suffer from erectile dysfunction? We don't have to discuss this right now: here's my card.

Life is a networking opportunity and funerals are for the living.

YOU SICK BASTARD!!!!


:D

I spent the whole time avoiding eye contact.