Take a few deep breaths. Give yourself a quick, silent, confidence-boosting pep talk. You can do it. Rehearse your introduction line and pray nerves don't induce any embarrassing stuttering and stumbling. Double-check your pocket for business cards. Readjust and straighten your name badge one final time, hoping it’s in an appropriate and visible position. And go.
Walking into a room of strangers, armed with nothing more than a wodge of business cards and a name badge for comfort is daunting, but business networking has become an unavoidable recession reality for many people. In the world of competitive job-hunting and promotion-seeking, the old rule applies more than ever; it's often not just what you know but who you know. So, instead of looking on enviously at a colleague who always seems to know all the right people, it’s time to start investing time in building your own personal network. A well-stocked network could provide a vital lifeline in the event of redundancy and will help bring in the new business opportunities you’re feeling under pressure to deliver.
A few confidence tips for the nervous networker
- Arrive early - it's harder to enter a crowded room where everyone is already settled in conversations.
- Smile.
- Prepare open questions in advance to avoid awkward pauses and to generate conversation.
- Be interested. Listen to answers to your questions. Nerves can cause you to focus completely on what you're going to say next rather than pick up on hooks to build interesting conversations.
- Set targets. How many people would you like to meet? Don't get too comfortable with one person, keep moving and keep to your objectives. Having a structure gives you a mission rather than floundering aimlessly (or hiding in a corner, then sloping off early).
And when the event is over don't just breath a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back, go over the business cards you've commected and plan your follow up actions to ensure you get the most from your networking effort.
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