Shooting the breeze is not a very common task for introverts. Networking is an important part of the life that one cannot escape through.
So, how do the shy people embrace networking strategies to implement it in their professional life? Let us have a look.
There is always a feel of losing the job if you are not an outgoing person as compared to your competitive colleagues.
Networking helps people connect and socialize with a larger chunk of people, thereby adding a pile of contacts to your connections.
Imagine yourself spending an evening at your bosses’ farewell party not talking to anybody, being standoffish, detaching yourself from everybody around you and standing at an isolated place eventually waiting for the party to get over.
Everyone around you are gossiping, cheering around, dancing, singing, clicking pictures, mesmerizing each and every moment of their life. It is not that you do not want to join them!
Your inner feeling tells you to mingle with them but is unable, because you do not know how to approach people. This is a major common issue at every phase of life, be it in schooling days, college years, or even your work place.
Here in this article we are going to discuss few easy and effective networking tips for introverts or shy professionals.
Networking Strategies to Overcome Shyness:
Now how do we go about in networking yourself in such a position that you start talking to everyone and there is no such shy dare devil person in you?
Here is how to implement this practice by following a few steps:
1. Starting small:
Usually introverts have a closed knit group of friends and families whom they communicate with.
Hence, it can be counted upon as an advantage. Rely on your friends and families to widen up your social circle by asking them to introduce you to their friends.
Try hanging out with the new ones in the presence of your friends.
This will help you in mixing along with new people without having the fear of totally being alone as your friends will also be there to hang around.
2. Be who you are:
Never ever try to imitate an extrovert or any other person just because people are not noticing you because of you being an introvert.
This is a wrong myth that has been in implication since ages. You need to be who you are even if you are an introvert.
You need to learn more about yourself. Try being happy with what you are and not sad because of who you could not be.
3. Get to know about your primal instincts:
A person is not shy from the time he/she was brought to life. It was something very silly or something very disastrous that made them take this huge step of being aloof and isolating themselves from the people around them.
Thus it happens to be that people tend to become shy because of their primal instincts.
Hence, it is equally necessary to tap on them and get the hell out of this weird feeling of not getting along with people. Trust me; this is one of the major reasons why people feel shy to communicate.
4. Ask for introductions:
Introverts tend to be shy at meetings or social gatherings. This is the main reason for not having enough connections.
Hence, it is necessary enough to ask for introductions. Even though you do not know the person well, go up to them and ask for a formal introduction.
After all, you all have met under the same roof for one single cause.
You never know how useful that person might turn up in the future. Or you might even end up being good friends with that person. It is all about networking and getting to know each other well!
5. Go deep into your passions:
Get to know your real happiness.
Your passion drives you wild and gives you an inner decisive happiness which nobody on this earth can provide you with.
Work on your passion, get to know it well, spend your free time in chasing your passion and leave the rest for it to do.
Remember, your healthy mind would later thank you for choosing this passion to be your whole and soul and the love of your life.
6. Stop apologizing:
It is a common sight that introverts or shy people tend to apologize a lot. You do not have to apologize for every single thing happening in and around you.
Although, it is not a bad manner or will not lower your dignity as such. But in today’s cruel world, every single person is looking for people whom they can rely on and take advantage of.
Hence, it is necessary to apologize in places where you feel to do so. And also take utmost care in seeing that nobody takes advantage of your polite and supple nature.
7. Be prepared in advance:
If you think that you are not confident enough to make on the spot preparations and might get all tongue twisted blabbering around in the end, then prepare yourself for it quite well in advance.
Break the ice and make others around you comfortable enough to have a conversation with you for many more times in the future too.
If a gathering is regarding a new job vacancy, showcase your skills in a presentable manner and let everyone know how good a person can be!
8. Get over the fear of rejection:
Rejection should not be haunting you every single time you try to communicate with someone.
It is a natural aspect which comes and goes with passage of time. Therefore it is not necessary to think about it all the time and trying to avoid not talking to people.
Instead, think of ways to come out of the fear of rejection and feel rejoice in talking to people.
Do not crib about being rejected. There may be times when people want to take you help or not want to. It is all up to you how well you take this rejection; in a positive or negative way.
9. Be generous:
Shy people usually think they cannot break the shell because of them not having the quality of giving something back to the other person. But this is not the case.
Shy people are more generous as compared to others. Pour your heart out in front of the person and that one person will remember you for the rest of his/her lifetime.
Authentication helps share ideas and passions and might give you a plethora of connections.
10. Dare to take risks in life:
It is necessary enough to take risks in life. It challenges and motivates you to keep moving ahead in life, no matter what. These challenges make you stronger enough to present yourself in front of others.
Be it one single person or a crowd of thousand, you will not be afraid to speak up in front of them if you are ready to take challenging risks in life.
If you become bold enough to overcome in taking risks in life, it will be easier enough to break the ice and build up the power to strike up number of conversations with one and all.
11. Be a good volunteer:
Volunteering is equally important whether you are an introvert or extrovert. People tend to make a fuss about anything.
Hence, you need to establish your identity in such a way that people remember you in good as well as bad times. Become the hero of the house by volunteering yourself for good causes.
Be an active participant in lending a helping hand to others. It will not just imbibe a sense of goodness in the person whom you are helping, but also to the people around you who have witnessed it.
12. Take help of a therapist:
Always remember to consult a therapist in times of need. Whenever you feel that you are unable to overcome a particular kind of shyness, be free to talk to him about your issues.
There might be certain personal instincts that are your major drawbacks for a certain kind of laid back attitude.
Hence, in such times, a therapist is the one who would provide proper consultation and help you overcome the shyness.
13. Be a good listener:
Researchers have found that introverts are generally good listeners among all. As they fear to speak up in front of all, they tend to be the quietest and share a good listening quality. This would help them in the near future when any sort of information is needed.
Also, it would help in indulging yourself in a pleasant conversation with the other person.
But that does not count in you being quiet in times when an opinion has to be expressed and you are supposed to speak up for a cause.
14. Follow a follow up:
If you are at a meeting or a social gathering, you meet a hell lot of new people around. If you manage to converse with a notable person and if he/she feels you have something valuable to share, do it immediately.
That throws light on your positive aspect of being a responsible employee.
Always keep a follow up of the meetings and gatherings and this will allow you to know more people every second time you meet them.
15. Body language is important:
It is necessary to have a good body language while communicating with others. It should not send a negative sign to the listener or the entire chunk of people whom you are conversing with.
Even if it is not intentionally done, it will still count in as a bad perception of the body language by sending out negative vibes.
This change should be done slowly and gradually and should not be a sudden change in perception of the receiver.
16. Increase your networking goal:
Make sure that your networking connections increase day by day. There is no steeping behind in this connection of networking broadband.
Many people commit the mistake of asking people directly about recruitments. It is a fact that people do not roam around with jobs available in their hands.
It is absolutely very difficult to find a job and work on it. Hence, the faster you widen your networking goals, the more chances of you getting jobs and getting rid of the introverts tag.
17. Keep volunteering at events:
It is necessary enough to make a broader circle of connections. Now how will it be done?
By participating actively in events and functions.
People look out for those who are willing to step ahead in helping out with managing and stuff. It also helps in widening the connections circle.
Hence, keep looking out for opportunities where you can come in contact with a larger chunk of people under one single roof. Remember, opportunities do not knock. You have to build the door.
18. Be active online:
Being active does not mean you spend each and every single second of your life skimming through the various social networking sites.
But it is equally important to note that social networking sites do play a major role in shaping a particular person’s social life.
The number of valuable and noteworthy followers or friends you have on your list, the more you are able to open up and communicate well with them.
Be an active member on all or at least some of the social networking sites to help build your social circle. Also, it is less stressful than face to face interactions which many people are uncomfortable of.
19. Focus on your intentions:
When you attend any meeting or a social gathering, always remember to have an intention. Let it be named as your secret mission towards success.
Keep this intention focused enough to be worked upon. Let us take this intention of conversing with at least 20 people in a day.
Such realistic intentions will help you grow in your shell and help break the comfort zone and step out in the open. A clear eye perspective of all can be gathered.
20. Direct conversation:
This might be a little tough for beginners as it has to be done on one on one basis. This is the toughest among all as also the quickest way to start interacting.
While in the indirect form of communicating you will have to wait for the other person to reply back to you. This is not a tedious one though as it does not consume any one’s times as answers are given on the spot.
Direct form of communicating with one and all which would boost your energy level to a different platform.
21. Speak up:
This is the crux of all the pointers in making a person come out of his/her shell. Speak up for what you think is right and wrong.
Never keep your emotions, feelings, opinions, thoughts strangled among each other in a cornered place in your heart and mind. Speak up. Stand up for the right cause.
Pour your heart out and let the emotions, feelings, thoughts, opinions be gushed out to make way for a good cause.
22. Invite people for dinner or lunch:
Spend quality time with the ones who play a big role in making your connection circle so wide. Invite them once in a while for lunch or dinner.
Build up the connection and work on it. This is not to be done on a regular basis as the other person might get pissed off because of your constant poking.
But once in a blue moon will definitely work in building and maintain your connections for a longer period of time.
23. Start Questioning:
The easiest way to start speaking up or conversing with people is to start questioning. Any random or silly question regarding the topic concerned would do.
It will make everyone feel your presence and the tag of being quiet would be removed eventually.
Make your presence be felt by everyone as this questioning part would help make you shine out in the crowd. This questioning part is a funny task as it would generate interesting answers from people all around.
24. Give out your business card:
People usually shy in giving away their business card. Although this is an easy way of communicating and a profession one too, this way of communicating is losing its charm because of the advent of modernization and stuff.
Hence, it is necessary enough to preserve
the traditional effective ways of communicating with each other.
Start giving out your business card to the ones whom you feel is necessary giving and make a good chain of connections.
25. Do not network just for the sake of it:
People, start networking after reading all these pointers just for the sake of it. Remember this might hit you hard in a negative way.
Be open to share your thoughts and opinions. Be clear of what you expect from people and network for the best.
Try building a good rapport with all and gradually you would not feel the cliché in meeting strangers and conversing with them.
Conclusion:
The beginning is always the hardest. But over times you will gradually start getting comfortable with the meeting new people thing.
Take advantage of your networking abilities and strengths and rise to a higher level in shining out in the crowd. Learn from your experiences, be it sweet or bitter, implement them in your life and see how the world is a happy place to stay.
Happy networking!
