How to Survive Your First Networking Event as an Introvert ?

hey Introvert: You’ve been to a few networking events already and you’re not sure whether or not you should go to another one. You’re thinking of skipping it, but I’m here to tell you that this is a mistake. Networking events are crucial for introverts and extroverts alike, but especially for introverts because they can provide us with opportunities that we may not find anywhere else. But how do we survive the night? We will explore some tips below:

Give yourself a pep talk.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to give yourself a pep talk. Many introverts find it helpful to remind themselves of their strengths and what they have to offer others, as well as what other people have to offer them.

For example, you might tell yourself: “I am good at communicating with people one-on-one because I can get comfortable with someone quickly by focusing on them rather than socializing in general.” Or if your friends are extroverts, think about how you can help them out instead: “Well, my friend Jane has never been much of a conversationalist but she’s really great at making everyone feel welcome! Maybe she’ll turn out to be more talkative around new people if I introduce myself first?”

Take time before an event so that when someone asks why they should talk with you at the networking event, your answer will already be within reach.

Take a friend.

If you don’t want to be stuck in the corner, take someone with you that you can talk to when you’re ready to go home. This could be a spouse or significant other, but even better is if it’s someone who knows how introverted people operate and will help make sure they get what they need from the event. If that’s not possible, then bring something like a book or magazine so that if things start getting overwhelming and awkward (which they often do), then at least there’s something else for your mind to focus on until it feels safe enough again. Don’t worry too much about being seen as antisocial by others; everyone is there because they want something out of it—something more than just talking with strangers at an event: which would probably be pretty boring anyway!

Avoid small talk.

Small talk is fine in small doses, but it’s a terrible way to start a conversation. Talking about the weather, the traffic and your favourite TV show is not going to get you very far with anyone. The same goes for asking people if they’re having a good time at the event. It’s like saying “how are you?” on Facebook; people will respond with an answer that sounds polite but isn’t really saying much of anything at all.

These topics are so boring that they make introverts want to crawl under their chairs and hide until the world ends (which might happen soon anyway).

Instead of wasting time with meaningless chit-chat or trying to be someone else, find someone who looks interesting or seems friendly and introduces yourself! You don’t have any other choice now—if you don’t approach someone new then everyone else will just keep talking amongst themselves like an episode of Seinfeld where nothing happens except for Kramer going on an anti-social rant about his “new friend” at work who keeps inviting him over for dinner when he doesn’t want her around so much anymore because she always talks about herself too much any way which makes him feel uncomfortable sometimes too…

Look for common ground.

If you don’t already know the person, it’s okay to ask them about themselves and the event. This can be as simple as “What did you think of the talk?” or “How long have you been in this industry?”

If you do know the person, common ground can also help get a conversation going. For example: “Didn’t that speaker’s presentation remind you of last year’s conference?” Or “Didn’t we meet at another networking event? I remember your energy.”

Avoid talking about your job unless it’s relevant to what they’re doing. If they’re an accountant, don’t tell them how much money their company made last quarter—it will make them feel bored!

Set a time limit for yourself.

It’s okay to leave early. You don’t have to be the last person there, and you don’t have to talk to everyone. Often when we feel like we have too much work or too many obligations, it can be hard for us to relax and enjoy ourselves in social situations like this one. It’s totally normal! A great way of dealing with this is by setting a time limit for yourself—for example, if your event lasts an hour, set an alarm on your phone that goes off after 45 minutes so that you know when it’s time for you to head home (or back home).

Pause before you speak.

It can be hard for introverts to know when it’s their turn to speak. It’s easy for us to interrupt someone else or get caught up in the conversation without realizing it, so pausing before you speak helps you avoid this. It also gives you a moment to think about what you’re going to say rather than rushing through your sentences without thinking them through. This may seem like a small thing, but when we pause before speaking, we think about how our words might affect others—and in turn, how our actions will impact them.

When we don’t pause before speaking, it’s easy for us to interrupt other people and say things that could hurt feelings or offend others by accident. Pausing before speaking gives everyone involved an opportunity to breathe and take stock of where they are in the conversation; if someone was talking over another person earlier in the interaction (or vice versa), then pausing gives both parties time to reflect on whether their words were appropriate or not—and give each other space if needed!

Listen, don’t think about what you’re going to say next.

I know, I know. You’re an introvert who doesn’t like talking about yourself and your accomplishments. (That’s okay! We understand.) But what if I told you that listening is more important than talking?

Listening shows that you are interested in the other person and their story; it shows that you are a good listener, which is extremely important in any kind of business or networking setting because it will help build rapport with others quickly; it also shows that you’re a good communicator — someone who is willing to take the time to understand another person before rushing into conversation with them (after all, we should never forget: people do business with those they know).

All of these things make for outstanding interpersonal skills — great qualities for any leader or entrepreneur to have!

Do your homework beforehand.

• Do your homework beforehand. Researching a company before attending an event can give you an idea of what to expect and how you might fit in. If a company is hosting an event, they likely want to attract people who are interested in their business. In this case, it’s important to know what they do and how it helps other businesses. You also want to know who will be there before going—if anyone has reached out or recommended you through LinkedIn, that’s great! But if not, don’t worry about it because it’s all part of the process anyway!
• Come prepared with questions for yourself as well as others. Networking events can feel awkward at first but once you get into the swing of things and start chatting with others like yourself (i.e., introverts), then everything will go smoothly from there on out; just remember that everyone was new once too! The key here really is having questions ready so people ask them instead 🙂

Don’t have too many drinks.

Now, on to the fun part: drinking! Alcohol can make it easier to talk to people if you’re feeling nervous. It can also help you relax and feel less self-conscious about socializing. You might even be tempted to have a few drinks before networking events or when meeting new people.

However, alcohol is both a depressant and a diuretic (a substance that causes your body to lose water). This means it can leave you dehydrated and tired, especially if you’ve been drinking for several hours or are drinking at room temperature. It’s not uncommon for people who drink alcohol at networking events to stay longer than they intended because they’re too exhausted from dehydration or hangovers after waking up early in the morning (or both!). If you’re worried about driving home after an event where there’ll be lots of drinking going on, try taking an Uber instead so no one else gets hurt by their drunk decisions!

Networking doesn’t have to be painful if you plan carefully and make small talk about something other than the weather

• If you can’t think of anything interesting to say, ask questions. Instead of diving into your own spiel about how great your company is or what you do for fun, ask questions about other people’s jobs and interests. It will get their attention and give them an opportunity to talk about themselves—and that’s good for both parties!
• Be a good listener instead of hogging the spotlight when they do feel comfortable enough to open up. Some people may even want advice on how they can improve their business or personal life—so be prepared with some solid suggestions!
• Focus on finding common ground rather than being an expert in everything under the sun (which is impossible). Find something juicy that connects both parties’ passions together—and then build on that foundation until things start flowing naturally again after a few minutes pass by 🙂