Networking Tips For Introverts
I know I'm not alone when I say that a small part of me dies at the thought of attending a networking event. They're typically filled with cold pizza, room temperature beer, and well rehearsed elevator pitches. But I've put together a few tips that have helped me enjoy the socializing sans shmooze.
Community Over Competition
Get to know the people in the room. If you're like me, you can be choosy as to what socializing events you actually want to participate in and attend. If all these people have gathered over a topic that you're interested in you already have something in common. This is a community of people that have gathered to talk about a shared interest, use that to your advantage and try striking up a genuine conversation.
I know, this should be a given right? But with my fair share of hosted events under my belt, I can safely say that not everyone keeps this as a priority. People will remember you more for your kindness and genuine conversation before they would ever take a second glance at your business card handed over mid sales-pitch.
Find the people you've connected with on social media, support each other and gain the access to remain in contact if you happen to attend similar other events in the future.
You don't have to talk to every single person in the room. Strike up conversation with those that you naturally gravitate towards. Chances are you'll connect on a more personal level and have one of those genuine conversations I've been talking about.
I know this may seem like a giant leap, but when you host your own events you can usually have a say in all the tiny details and omit the things you hate the most about networking events. Check out my post on my experiences hosting Shopify Meetups here -
Make A Habit Of Hooking People Up (Connections)
Connecting those you know can be such a satisfying feeling. Especially when you know they'll hit it off. Being able to build a group of like minded people can be the golden ticket when you're running a business.