4 Tips for Those Who Hate Networking

Networking. It's a popular business buzzword these days and we all intuitively know that it's a good idea to get out and meet people in our industry. Making solid connections with the business owners and professionals around you can be very rewarding, both personally and professionally.

So why is it so hard?

Most of us are just not geared to jump into a room full of strangers and start up a lively conversation. It can feel awkward and uncomfortable at times, and let's face it... sometimes you just can't get anywhere in your conversations with people.

The good news is that a lot of people feel like this. The saying in baseball is, "No one bats a thousand" meaning that everybody is going to strike out sometimes.

To help increase your batting average, here are a few tips from a Forbes article called 17 Tips To Survive Your Next Networking Event.

Be yourself. 

Networking events are meant as jumping-off points for relationship building. If you can’t be yourself, you’ll be starting off these new relationships with a lie. Don’t try to be the person you think others want to meet. Be genuine. The people you connect with when you are authentic are the ones you’ll want to stay in touch with.

Introduce yourself to the organizer. 

A great way to get to know more about an organization and who is involved is to seek out the event organizer and introduce yourself. He/she can then help point you in the right direction and can introduce you to other attendees to get you off on the right foot.

Ask yourself why they should care. 

Consider why the person you’re speaking to should care about what you’re saying. Craft your conversations accordingly. You only have a short time to make an impression, so try to make it favorable.

Don’t be afraid to join in. 

There is nothing wrong with joining a conversation and waiting for a natural break in the chatter to introduce yourself. In most cases, the people who are already speaking will enjoy the interruption because it gives them a chance to meet someone new. If you sense that you’ve entered into a serious discussion, it’s okay to politely excuse yourself.

Click here to read all 17 tips in the article.