Marketing Delmarva: Too Shy To Network? Get Over It! (An Article That Speaks Volumes)

I came across this article several months ago and thought it was excellent material for any entrepreneur or small business owner. Published by Dawn Rassmusen of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, the simplicity of the writing style drew me in, because being sort of a shy and socially hesitant individual, this is right up my alley. I don't think it's just me, however - I suspect many us can relate and identify with these points, and I'm betting that this may open your mind about branching out.

"A week ago, I attended a business mixer sponsored by the Portland Business Journal, and was immediately reminded about something. As I walked into the crowded room of about 200 professionals, I remembered that keeping up the art of networking requires you to keep working at it. Like exercising a muscle, you need to keep flexing it in order to keep it in shape. Not that I have any excuse… I have been (ahem) a little negligent myself lately in getting out into true networking situations where I don’t know anyone. A heavy client load and multiple projects have kept my time constrained to running from appointment to appointment, with no time (or energy) to commit to going to any after-hours networking events. I’ve been too exhausted. But that is no excuse.

I realized it had been awhile since the last networking event that I had attended, and silently resolved to get myself back out there. So as I entered that room, I suddenly realized how flabby my networking muscle was. And I’ll admit it: I was scared since I knew a total of two people out of that crowd. Why was I scared? Because deep down, I am actually a horrifically shy person. And when anyone who is shy is thrust into a setting where it is densely packed and they don’t really know anyone, the natural instinct is to clam up and find a corner of the room for shelter. It was all I could do to force myself into the heaving crowd. But I did it."

Below are five valuable tips from Dawn that I think are so simple and yet presented in a terrific manner:

1) Be fearless. Walk up, stick out your hand, introduce yourself, ask them about what they do, then shut up. People love to talk about themselves. So let them. Being quiet means you don’t have to come up with things to talk about and you can take their conversational lead!
2) Be well-read. Keeping up with current events and business trends gives you a treasure trove to draw from in terms of conversational topics.
3) Initiate a call to action. If you want to learn more, there’s only so much you can chat about comfortably in a crowded room. Suggest to meet the person over coffee in a less busy setting. You’ll both be more relaxed and the ideas can flow more freely.
4) Follow up in 24 hours. Don’t shove the person’s card in your drawer and call it good. That’s not networking. That’s called disposing of your contacts (I am not talking about the kind you stick in your eyes). Email messages are good, but even a nice little hand-written note can lend some distinction to your thoughtfulness.
5) If the conversation isn’t working out very well, release the person. You can always excuse yourself if they have lost interest or there isn’t any rapport building. (Or if they are looking over your shoulder!) Say, “Well, it was nice meeting you and we should both probably mingle a little more… thanks again for chatting!” and then let them go. Sometimes, shy people have a habit of clinging to people that they are able to talk to and then never letting them go. Don’t be one of those networkers! The purpose is to meet as many people as you can.

Don’t let yourself become your own worst obstacle to networking. Get out there, and get a networking workout… the more you do it, the easier it will become!"

by Dawn Rassmusen
Pathfinder Writing and Career Services
Article Link

What did you think? Would you tend to say that your networking skills are a bit rusty, or perhaps simply not a focus right now? If meeting and mingling with others isn't a priority on your list you probably aren't alone!

While the idea of "building connections" might be an easy phrase to say, it is also one that is so often overlooked when we actually try to put into practice. I'm inspired enough to have made a few notes on my computer's sticky pad, to remind me of the importance of spending time on such activities. After all, like many things in life, this probably becomes easier with practice.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great day!

Sincerely,

Andrea Baumann

Marketing Delmarva