Networking can be intimidating for anyone, but introverts especially experience anxiety. Networking is a skill that you can develop, though. Once you’ve become comfortable with the basics of networking, it will become easier and easier over time. Here are some tips on how to network as an introvert:
Understand what networking is.
Networking is a way to meet new people and build relationships. It’s about helping other people, giving more than you take, and building your personal brand.
Networking can be scary for introverts because we’re not naturally good at small talk or sharing intimate details about ourselves with strangers (or even friends). But if done right, networking can be beneficial for everyone involved–including you!
Know your strengths and how to promote them.
Knowing your strengths is important for networking. You’ll be more confident and successful when you know what you’re good at, and how to promote it.
You can share your strengths by telling a story about how you handled a situation in which someone was impressed by or benefited from something that came naturally to you. For example, if one of my clients wants to tell me about her success in marketing her business, she might say “I started small but then I built up my client base slowly but steadily until now I’m handling large projects.” Or if another client wants me to know that he’s passionate about technology (and therefore excited about working with computers), he might say “I’ve been interested in technology since I was young because my dad taught me how computers worked when I was growing up.”
If sharing stories isn’t comfortable for some reason–maybe because some people don’t like talking about themselves–you can also share what’s currently on your plate: “I’m currently working on X project.” Or perhaps: “My goal this year is Y thing.”
Know your personal brand.
You need to know what your personal brand is. This means knowing what you want to be known for, how you want to be seen by others and yourself, and how your brand will be perceived in the marketplace.
To do this:
- Figure out your values and mission statement (see below).
- Identify the characteristics that make up your personality so that people can recognize them in everything from emails or phone calls with clients all the way up through presentations at conferences or speeches at industry events.
Plan a time when you’re ready to network – not just when it’s convenient for you, but when you’re ready to do it.
Plan a time when you’re ready to network – not just when it’s convenient for you, but when you’re ready to do it.
- You’ll feel more comfortable and confident about networking if the time is right for you.
- It will help you focus on your goals, not on all the distractions that can come up during the day (or week).
- Planning ahead will keep your schedule organized so that there aren’t any gaps in between meetings or other events where people are available to meet with each other face-to-face or over video chat software like Skype or Zoom (which we’ll discuss later).
Create a list of people you want to connect with, and then make sure that their names are on the guest list for any event you’ll be attending.
Next, create a list of people you want to connect with. Then, make sure their names are on the guest list for any event you’ll be attending. This will help you feel more comfortable at events and give your mind less time to wander during conversations.
Make it a point to seek out introverts, as well as extroverts, at all of your events. This will help you feel more comfortable and will allow your mind to wander less during conversations.
It can be difficult for introverts to feel comfortable speaking with strangers at networking events. However, you should make it a point to seek out both introverts and extroverts at all of your events. This will help you feel more comfortable and will allow your mind to wander less during conversations.
Introverts can learn a lot from extroverts; they have different strengths than we do, which means that we can learn from each other’s perspectives on things like public speaking or leadership skills. Introverts also benefit from spending time with other introverts because it gives us an opportunity to recharge our batteries after being around people all day long!
Knowing who you are is key to understanding yourself better and meeting new people
You don’t have to be the life of the party or an extrovert to be successful in networking. It’s important that you understand who you are first, then use that knowledge to meet new people and make connections. Here are some tips:
- Be yourself. You don’t need to pretend that you’re something else or hide parts of yourself when talking with other people. Instead, learn how best to promote your strengths so that they come across naturally during conversations (and no one will notice any difference).
- Know what makes a good first impression on others when meeting them for the first time–and then strive for perfection! The better impression someone has of themselves when meeting someone new, the more likely they’ll want those same qualities in their friends as well… including us introverts!
Networking is a skill that takes time to develop, but it’s also one that you can practice as you go along. The more you do it, the easier it will become–and the more likely you are to find connections that will help your career thrive!
