TMS #038: From Shy to Successful

Read time: 4 minutes

Do you feel like your career is going nowhere? Do you have difficulty connecting with others at work or in your personal life? Are you worried that being shy is holding you back and preventing your growth?

You're not alone. Many people reading this piece may be introverts who get nervous when they go out into the world to meet new people. But it doesn't have to be this way! You can overcome your fears and build successful business networks with simple strategies and techniques, even if you are shy.

Networking is a skill that everyone needs

Networking is a skill that everyone needs. It's the foundation of business success, but it can also help you in other areas of life, like finding love or making friends.

Networking isn't just about selling yourself and your goods or services. It's also about being a good person and building relationships with people you care about, like co-workers or customers, family members, or old classmates.

If this sounds interesting, but networking still scares you, this guide is for you!

Think about your values and goals

First, take some time to reflect on your values and goals. What do you want out of this networking opportunity? Are there any specific skills or resources to help you achieve an important goal?

For example, if one of your goals is to start a business, it's best to network with business owners who have already tried everything (and failed) to get their business off the ground.

Suppose another goal is to attract more customers. In that case, someone who works at a digital marketing agency can provide contacts or give tips on marketing yourself online via social media like Facebook and Instagram.

Now think about WHY these people can help. What makes them qualified/experienced enough for such things? Is there a specific skill or resource that you need help with? These people can help you with that.

Learn how to be comfortable with yourself and build self-confidence

It's essential to be comfortable with yourself, including your physical appearance. If you're not happy with how you look or if parts of your personality or behavior are holding you back, it will be hard for other people to look past their own opinions and see the real value within you.

If you feel things about yourself need improvement or fixing--and most people do!--then make a plan for making those changes happen. For example, "I'm going to start exercising more often" or "I'm going on a diet".

Make sure that whatever road you take, you take it slowly and don't try something big all at once. If not, these attempts will likely fail over time due to a lack of motivation and follow-through.

Take baby steps

Don't be afraid to start small. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the idea of networking and reaching out to people you don't know, but it's better to start small than not at all! You don't have to go out there and ask for favors immediately. Instead, try reaching out in an email or text message first. This way, you're less likely to be rejected or ignored because they don't see your face on the screen like in a face-to-face conversation.

Don't try doing everything at once either. It can feel overwhelming when so many things compete for our attention. Instead, pick what interests you most about that particular networking event/activity/etc. Then focus on mastering that specific task first, and move on to another later if you feel more comfortable doing so.

Practice, practice, and then practice some more

The best way to overcome your fears is to practice. Practice your elevator pitch and social skills with friends, family, and people you know. Then, take it one step further by practicing them on strangers.

You can also practice in front of a mirror or record yourself speaking to see how much better (or worse) your voice sounds when nervous vs. relaxed. This will help reduce nerves during networking events because there will be fewer surprises when meeting new people.

Find the right balance of solitude and socialization

To become a better networker and maximize your time in the spotlight, you must find the right mix between alone time and time with other people. You need to be able to say NO when you don't want or need something from someone else and YES, when you do. But the most important thing is that you feel comfortable in your skin.

This doesn't mean that you have to be an extrovert, but it does mean that you need to connect with people meaningfully. How do you do this? By making sure that you meet your needs.

If you're doing good work, people will want to keep in touch with you!

Now that we've discussed why networking is important let's talk about what it takes to succeed. The first step is to do good work. If you're doing good work, people will want to keep in touch with you! But what does it mean? If someone asks you for help or feedback on something they're working on (or just random stuff), take some time out of your busy day to give them a thoughtful answer. Even if they only ask for an opinion on something small like an article or presentation slides.

Whether these people will become part of your professional network doesn't matter. Helping others makes you feel good about yourself. It builds trust between people who might otherwise never meet each other.

Another way to build relationships with people is to listen when someone talks about their project or business idea. Then follow up with further questions later on down the road.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you understand the importance of networking and how to overcome your anxiety around it. The key is to take baby steps and practice as often as possible. It's also essential to find a balance between solitude and socialization to be comfortable with yourself no matter the situation.

If you want more information on how I overcame my networking anxiety or want some tips on building your professional network, check out my website!

Keep Evolving,

Christian Founder - MindtutorialFollow The Real Me on LinkedIn

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TL;DR

From Shy to Successful: How to Overcome Networking Anxiety and Build a Thriving Professional Network

1. Identify goals and values

2. Boost self-confidence

3. Begin with small steps

4. Practice networking skills

5. Balance social and alone time

6. Deliver quality work

7. Help others, build relationships

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