Power Networking for Introverts

Happy New Year

Since I started my business nearly eight years ago, I generally take time between Christmas and New Years to do some strategic planning. One of the first things I do is look at where my projects and clients have come from during the past year. Sure enough, the results were the same as every other year. My biggest projects in 2007 came from people I met years ago through some of my more painful networking experiences.

One project was the result of a referral from my partner in a Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce golf tournament. I met a repeat client through the Chamber leads group I tried for a couple of years. Four smaller projects came from a gentleman I met at an American Marketing Association luncheon.

What's interesting is that I'm terrible at golf, and golf events make me really nervous. I haven't been in that leads group since 2003 - I found the stress of having to talk about myself and pass leads too much for me. And I attended just two of those AMA luncheons because I was not a member, and you know how hard it is to eat lunch and make conversation  with a roomful of strangers. Just the thought of these types of networking activities can make an introvert cringe.

Here's what I did. I forced myself to go. I faked it, and I kept at it until networking events became easier and less stressful (even a little fun). I also followed up with each of these people, even though the calls and coffee meetings were difficult to initiate. And although we met years ago, we have managed to stay in touch.

So here are my three goals for next year - I'm going to force myself to go to a few more luncheons, golf tournaments, and other networking events. After each one, I'll follow up. Finally, I'm going to make more calls and take time for coffee with key contacts through the year.

Thanks so much for reading this blog in 2007. Have a very happy, healthy, and successful 2008!

The Introvert Advantage

Each month, I'll  be reviewing a book that I think is a worthwhile read for introverts. Here's the latest:

Since I started this blog back in February, I've had a number of people recommend "The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World," by Marti Olsen Laney. I finally got around to reading this book recently, and I found it fascinating. It's well worth the time - It confirmed that being introverted is a good thing, I learned why some things are so difficult for introverts and why others can be so comforting, and I now have an eight-step plan for revising my priorities in the New Year.

"Introvert Advantage" covers what exactly an introvert is; how being an introvert affects our work environment, relationships, and parenting; and tips on how to survive living among all those extroverts. After reading about research into how the brain works and the differences between extroverts and introverts, I can finally see why phone calls make me so nervous, why I'm such a procrastinator, and why my memory can be so bad at certain times (they are NOT senior moments).

The book really is a "How To." It's packed with some great ideas for getting by when you have to live or work with extroverts. There are memory joggers, tips for ironing out the bumps in a "mixed marraige," and ways to keep your sense of humor.

I felt better about being an introvert, and I came away with a plan. Not a bad takeaway! Let me know if you've read this book, and what you thought was the best part.

Tips for shy people

Here's a must-read article for introverts. It's called How to Network: 12 Tips for Shy People, and it was written by Meridith Levinson for CIO. I especially like the part about not apologizing for being awkward or for asking people for help. Introverts tend to apologize a lot, and it's refreshing to know that some things are just OK.

(Thanks to Ellen Naylor of The Business Intelligence Source for sending me this article)

Networking for shy people

In his M.A.P. Maker blog, Curt Rosengren recently updated his list of links to articles on networking for shy people - and Power Networking for Introverts is on the list (Thanks!). If you're the sort of person who - as Curt says - " would rather set your eyebrows on fire than go to a networking event," be sure to check out these links for some great networking tips.

What about all those business cards?

Friend and colleague, Christine Hamiltion-Pennell of Growing Local Economies, recently asked what I did with all the business cards I collect. Here's what I told her:

After I follow up with e-mails, hand-written notes, or phone calls, I decide which contacts I want to maintain. I  enter those into my contact management system (I use Outlook), making sure I include notes about where we met and anything else I may want to track.I also schedule a task in Outlook that will remind me to follow up on a regular basis. Then I toss the cards into the recycling container.

I don't like to keep cards around because they add to the clutter, but I make sure they get entered into my system. What do you do with the business cards you collect from your networking activites?

Making a good impression

Introverts tend to worry about what other people think. When we first meet someone, we worry about saying just the right thng. When we call to connect over coffee, we worry that they will think we're being pushy. The list goes on. We spend so much time worrying, it's hard to have fun. If this sounds all too familiar, take a look at "Eight Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness and Making a Good Impression" by Cyan Ta’eed. What I found interesting is that every one of these tips focuses on the other person. Give compliements, listen, remember details about them. This is good news for introverts because it takes the spotlight off of us and onto the other person. So read all the tips, and try them out at your next networking event.