Life is all about connections. You and your best friend are close because you share a bond that started with a mutual interest or shared experience. Your first date was the result of some form of connection, perhaps even an inexplicable one. Much of your work life revolves around positive interactions and fostering relationships among bosses, clients, and colleagues.
In other words, networking is what keeps the world in motion.
For some people, networking seems to come naturally. They can just walk up to anyone and immediately form some sort of connection with them. This ability is truly a gift, not only from an interpersonal perspective but also from a professional perspective.
For others, networking is a little more difficult. Anxiety and nerves make each potential interaction feel intimidating or even overwhelming. This is a normal feeling, so rather than letting it get you down, try to focus on techniques that can help you calm your nerves and approach networking with confidence!
To help you overcome your networking nerves, we’ve put together a few tips and tricks that you can practice and employ to form future connections in a more comfortable and efficient manner. Read on to unlock your networking potential!
Prepare Yourself
If networking makes you nervous, don’t wait until you’re in the moment or at the event to address your anxiety. Instead, start preparing yourself well ahead of time.
There are many ways to prepare yourself for networking, the effectiveness of which will vary from person to person, so be open to trying several techniques and finding the ones that work best for you!
A few anxiety-reducing techniques to try are meditation and visualization. Having a clear plan for who you would like to meet will help, while still keeping a little bit of flexibility!
Know Your Pitch
Before you attend an event or engage with someone, go over your pitch. You can do this by writing down your key points, practicing in the mirror, practicing with a friend, or simply refining it in your head—whatever works best for you! If you are familiar and comfortable with your pitch, you will feel far more confident sharing it with a potential connection in the moment.
Consequently, try to keep your “elevator” pitch simple, succinct, and easy to share.
Remember, you don’t have to dazzle someone to make a positive impression. Simply an appearance of confidence and self-assurance can go a long way!
Keep It Casual
In many networking situations, the interaction you share will be relatively short. Because of the limited time, you’ll have to begin with forming a connection that can hopefully develop into a relationship, and you’ll want your introduction to be short, sweet, and to the point.Notice that we didn’t say “get to the point.” While it is vitally important to be knowledgeable and professional, and you should certainly convey these things, it is equally important to present that knowledge in a casual way. Easing into a conversation is far more effective than diving headfirst into more technical and professional aspects of your potential connection.
Use Technology
Apps like IceBrekr are spanning the gap between virtual and physical connections by using technology to facilitate real-world interactions. IceBrekr does this by connecting you with people that are in the same physical space. This gives you the advantage of knowing who it is you are meeting, making connections that you might otherwise miss, and providing you with opportunities anywhere and everything, not just at conferences and events.
Whether you’re searching for a business connection or want to introduce yourself to the person at the coffee shop you locked eyes with, apps like IceBrekr may be able to help.
Technology has already revolutionized most aspects of the world, and apps like IceBrekr are doing the same for networking!
Be Yourself
It can be tempting to put on a façade when networking. Maybe you’re trying to be who you think the other person wants you to be, or maybe it’s a self-defense mechanism. No matter what the reasoning behind it is, it’s important to be self-aware enough to identify when you’re reverting to that safe space and work on correcting it.
Being yourself is truly the best way to make genuine, lasting connections. People are rarely looking for you to fit into some predetermined expectation or role, and if they are, they’re not the people you want to connect with anyway!
Strive to be confident in yourself and in who you are. Others will notice and appreciate your sincerity!
Networking doesn’t have to be hard or induce anxiety. By using these and other techniques to calm your nerves, you can set yourself up for success. With enough practice, you may even find yourself enjoying networking!
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