6 easy networking tips for introverts
Networking (noun): the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business (Merriam-Webster).
It’s the part of your business that you know you need to increase your sales, but it’s also the part of your business that can be a little intimidating… especially if you’re an introvert. Nobody wants to walk into an event, whether virtual or in-person, and feel as if they don’t know what to do next!
If the thought of networking makes you nervous, follow these 6 simple networking tips to help you become a networking extraordinaire… and have fun while doing it!
GO IN WITH CONFIDENCE
“Fake it ‘til you make it” can totally apply here. Although your knees may be buckling and you feel yourself starting to sweat when walking into the room (or joining the Zoom meeting!), pretend as if you have all the confidence in the world and this networking event is a piece of cake for you. Once you start to think it, you believe it, and soon enough, you really will feel confident.
There’s nothing more powerful than a woman with confidence, and people pick up on that. When you feel confident in yourself, who you are, what you offer, and how you help, others will start to feel confident in that about you, too.
START WITH A COMPLIMENT
As cliche as it may sound, starting off any conversation with a compliment is a super easy way to ease your way into meeting someone new. Especially as women, we love when others say something nice about us! A compliment is the way to go if you need to immediately find a “common ground.”
If you don’t know who the person is, start off by complimenting the other person’s shoes, hair, jewelry, clothes — anything that comes to mind and stands out.
If you know of the person but don’t truly know them yet (maybe you’ve seen them online or know who they are from mutual colleagues or friends), compliment them on something they’ve been doing with their business or something you’ve seen about them that really makes them great.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GIVE RATHER THAN RECEIVE
Networking is always meant to be a mutually beneficial relationship. If you go into an event thinking about what you can get out of it — like clients, sales, business growth, etc. — you’re not going to get the results that you want. Instead, think about what you can give — advice, connections, etc. — and the rest will follow.
When speaking with someone, think about asking them one (or all!) of these questions:
What are you currently working on that I can support you with?
Is there a person in a certain industry that you’d like to be connected to?
What are your goals for your business?
Their answers will allow you to see if there’s a way that you can help them, and if you can, they’ll appreciate it more than you know!
MAKE YOUR WAY AROUND THE ROOM
Although having a great conversation with one person is awesome, only talking to that one person throughout the duration of the event prevents you from meeting other people who could be really beneficial to know. After you’ve chatted with someone for 5-10 minutes and you feel the conversation dwindling down, or maybe you would like to dwindle it down, thank the person you’re speaking with for their time, tell them it was great meeting them, let them know you’d like to stay in touch, and exchange business cards (if you both have them) to receive each other’s contact information. This is an easy yet polite way to end the conversation.
When finding the next person to speak with, look for someone who currently isn’t talking to anyone and follow the same format as going up to them with confidence and sharing a compliment. If everyone already has someone they’re speaking with, find a small pair or group where you can go in and introduce yourself. This is the hardest part, as you don’t want to feel like you’re interrupting or being rude, but gently easing your way in can help you to start a conversation.
The more people you meet at an event, the better!
FOLLOW UP AND STAY IN TOUCH
Things don’t end once the event does. After you meet someone, follow them on social media and send them an email to let them know that you enjoyed speaking with them and look forward to staying in touch.
As time goes on, keep them in the back of your mind and reach out to them if you have a potential referral for them, find a resource that could benefit them, or just want to catch up. These small communications will help you to stay on top of mind for them, which could lead to future business for you.
It takes some time to feel comfortable with networking, but the more you do it, the better you’ll be!