Unlock Your Introvert Superpower in Networking
Do you feel overwhelmed by the idea of networking?
Do you fear coming across as maybe pushy or salesy?
Well, trust me, you are definitely not alone in this. But what if I told you that there was something in your introverted nature that it's actually a superpower in the world of networking?
Now, if we haven't met before, my name is Chris Burrows and I'm the introverted marketer, and I help you as an introvert discover how you can escape the rat race like I did, and thrive on your own terms as an empowered, introverted entrepreneur. We do that by harnessing your unique strengths and your introversion using artificial intelligence and modern technology.
Quietly Powerful - It's your Networking Superpower
Today's topic is something really close to my heart because I've been there. It's how being quiet can be your networking superpower.
If you are an introvert like me, you might sometimes feel like networking is a really daunting task, but guess what?
Your quiet nature can actually be your biggest asset.
So let's dive right in.
Now, when I first started my own businesses, I was really terrified of the idea of attending networking events and meeting new people. It's just not my thing.
I always felt like I had to be outgoing or extroverted in those sort of settings to really get the most out of them and to succeed. But over time I realized that being quiet had its own unique advantages.
For instance, introverts are great listeners and people really love to be heard.
So here are a few ways introverts can leverage those natural traits to really excel when they are forced to networking, which at one time we will all have to do.
Active Listening
You can use your listening skills to understand people's needs and concerns. People really appreciate it when you take the time to build that genuine connection and to get to know them.
And it can very much help you to help them move on to the next stage of your sales process or your funnel if you understand what their actual needs and concerns are.
Next up are thoughtful conversations. So introverts often think before they speak, which leads to more meaningful and less superficial conversations. And it really ties in with point number one that by getting to know people, we can dive deeper into those conversations and we don't end up talking about the weather or more superficial topics.
So yeah, we are really designed as introverts to listen before we speak and dive deeper. So really hone in on that skill.
Number three, quality over quantity. It's not about how many people you speak to in a room, but how well you know them. So focus on building deeper relationships with a few key individuals that you either want to get to know or that you discover in that room.
Using Your Introvert Powers
Now there's a little bit of a hack here:
look at who is going to be in that room before you are there.
Develop some relationships and talking points
Follow up after with with thoughtful emails
If you are attending an event and they've got a Facebook group community that everybody is in, you can look and pick out the people that you want to focus on, and then you can take some time to almost stalk them on Facebook and get to know them a little bit or start building those relationships by liking and commenting on their post so that when you meet in the room, you've already got that base relationship going and it doesn't feel so awkward. Okay, so building deeper relationships and picking out a few key individuals that you really want to get to know in that room. And then there is the follow-up. So you can use your strengths in written communication to follow up after meetings. People really appreciate a thoughtful email and that can leave a long lasting impression.
Now, our more extroverted friends are more inclined to think that they don't need to follow up. They made a great impression to start with, it doesn't need reinforcing, and that might be the case. But for most people, whether they're introverted or extroverted, they will really appreciate that thoughtful email, even if it's just a thank you to say:
"Thanks. It was great that you took the time to talk to me at whatever event, I'd love to get you more, or I'd love to follow up on what we were talking about and discuss it further".
Okay.
So yeah, really easy, but a really helpful tip.
Take Advantage of AI... For Free Professional Automation
And then utilize technology. So leverage AI tools and digital marketing strategies to automate some of your networking processes. Now, this will give you more time to focus on those quality interactions. So it might be that you drop people into an email sequence that then start to nurture them and offer them more value or start the discussion.
It might be that you use an AI chat bot to start reaching out to people and booking further conversations. You can use all these tools to reduce the amount of time that you are actually speaking to people face to face, to pre-qualify them so that the people you are speaking to are of the highest quality and to really give you more time to focus on the bits of your business that you enjoy more than the networking side of things. So they have it. There are some of my tips for being in a networking environment as an introvert and how you can really turn your introversion to manage the room.
So being quiet doesn't mean you can't be a brilliant networker. In fact, your introverted qualities can actually help you build deeper, more meaningful relationships, which as we all know are the cornerstone of successful networking.
I hope you found this helpful. If you did, please follow and share the video with others who might benefit from it. And don't forget to comment below with your own experiences on tips on using your introversion as your networking superpower!
