Power Networking for Introverts

Book review - Guerrilla Networking

The title of the networking book in the Guerilla series will probably make most introverts cringe. "Guerrilla Networking: A Proven Battle Plan to Attract the Very People You Want to Meet," by Jay Conrad Levinson and Monroe Mann, conjures up frightening thoughts of calling attention to ourselves. But whether you’re networking for personal, career, or business development, the book’s message makes this a worthwhile read.

You don’t have to worry that I’ll ruin the surprise ending. The authors state their core message - Networking is not about meeting people. It’s about becoming the type of person that other people want to meet – and they state it early and often. Once that’s out of the way, they provide 50 tips on how to become that type of person, as well as lots of stories written by people who have put Guerilla Networking into practice.

Not all these tactics may work for you, but introverts will find some ways to let people know just how interesting we really are – without having to call too much attention to ourselves.

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.