FriendsOffice Mantras Series
Benefits of Networking
There are countless perks to working on networking skills. Once practiced enough, it is simple to become a pro at it. After that, the benefits are endless.
- More Contacts: The more people who know about a business, the higher the chance of receiving recommendations!
- Helping Hands: Offering to help others isn’t just the right thing to do, it can also bring in opportunities to receive the same kind in the future.
- Better Confidence: Once an action is done enough times, it begins to become a habit. The more a company is represented and shows up to networking events, the more comfortable company representatives become and the more it’s noticed when they’re not there.
- Great Reputation: Building a good reputation is easy with Networking. Once someone has had a good experience, it’s natural to pass on the encounter to friends and family. This makes networking a great opportunity for free publicity.
Being an introvert be hard and if imagining going out there to network with peers sounds uncomfortable… Follow a few simple tips and tricks to overcoming those hermit-like ways. The benefits on the overall experience and in a career will far outweigh the inconvenience.
Tips and Tricks to Overcome Being an Introvert
- Be Helpful: Offering to help out others is a great first step for introverts. Getting out and talking to others can seem like a huge task, but it has a higher purpose other than just promoting representatives or the business. It also takes the pressure off when the ultimate goal is to help people.
- Attend Events: Leaving the house after a long workday can sound like a burden. The trick is to remember why it’s important. Attending events is one of the best ways to meet people and keep a pulse on the community.
- Listen: Nerves are a tricky thing. The real key to Networking Well is to listen to what others are saying. It’s easy to spit out the first thing that comes to mind and then end up talking too long. Being a good listener and showing that you are interested and care about what they are saying is priceless in the world of business. And, when you’re no busy focusing on what others are thinking of you, you are far less nervous.
- Reach Out: This one can be the hardest for introverts to overcome. Don’t wait for others to initiate a conversation. Taking the opportunity to open up in various discussions
shows confidence. And, people respond well to those who join in the conversation. - Smile More: Smiling is one of the easiest ways to step out of the comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to smile at people!
- Good Posture: Always be aware of poor posture. It seems silly, but standing up straight and being mindful of hand location when being approached can make a huge difference, for both parties about to interact.
- Come Prepared: Always double check that you have everything when leaving the house. The number of times someone has the opportunity to hand out a business card and is caught without one far outweighs the number of times they are on hand. Keep them close and in multiple locations (i.e. car, desk drawer, or in a laptop bag)! And don’t be afraid to go the extra mile with personal promotional items like pens and stickies!
- Work Hard: This seems like a given, but many people struggle to sustain consistent hard work when it comes to networking. After a long, hard day at work, networking sounds exhausting. But continuing to work and pushing that extra mile is what lasts in peoples minds. Everyone loves those who are social and who are hard workers!
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is to just breathe. Everyone is human. Everyone is doing their best. Networking isn’t easy, but the best way to get better at it is by practicing.
Extras!
We also encourage Positive Thinking here at FriendsOffice. For another article like this one, click the link to visit How to Succeed at Work with Positive Thinking.
This post was strongly inspired by the HuffPost article, “6 Tips For Business Networking Success.”