Today’s guest post is by Liz Agnew, coaching superstar.

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How to Network Successfully as an Introvert: Four tips to have fun and get results

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by Elizabeth J. Agnew, MS, PE

For us introverts out there, the idea of networking doesn’t exactly get our blood moving. As networking becomes more and more an integral part of my professional growth, I’m finding that (and I never thought I’d say this) I am actually beginning to enjoy it. And that right there is half of the reason why I’m successful with my networking efforts. In this article I’ll share with you 4 tips for networking success – as an introvert!

First, let’s get something cleared up. Being an introvert does NOT mean that you lack social skills. I’ll repeat: being introverted does not mean that you aren’t a ’social’ being. We all are. It simply means that you get your energy from within – when you need to recharge, you find a way to be alone. Being around people tends to use our energy, rather than charge it up. That’s all.

So all you closet introverts can come out now. If you can embrace your introversion, you’ll see that there are true benefits to being one: you tend to have a better relationship with yourself, appear more grounded and aware, and value deeper connections, to name a few. Embracing your introversion means you’ll be able to leverage it in networking situations. The 4 tips below show you how.

1. Think quality, not quantity
Already, your being an introvert is advantageous. Because we tend to prefer fewer, deeper relationships rather than multiple casual acquaintances, we can bring that desire into a networking situation. No one said the key to networking successfully was to get as many business cards as you could in the least amount of time. If you’re having a great conversation with someone, then stay put!

Let your goal be to make one solid connection for the evening that you’ll want to continue into the future. If it’s a multiple-day event, make your goal 3 – 4 solid connections. Now you can relax – let go of the need to compete for contacts and let fate do its work in deciding the few people you’ll get to truly know.

2. Stay curious
Introverts tend to prefer intimate, deep conversation rather than superficial small talk, which is one we reason we are typically allergic to networking. But how to come up with things to talk about that will get you past the small talk smoke screen? This is why I used to get stuck in the “I don’t feel like going” rut. I got out of it by staying curious.

Human beings are naturally curious creatures, and so once you learn to listen to your inner curiosity, it will be your ally in carrying the conversation. The person you’re chatting with has a story, has richness, has a life with details you can’t begin to imagine! Find out about it. Staying connected to your natural curiosity will help you stay drawn to attending and putting effort into the event.

3. Get real
When you’re doing all the curiosity-searching and questioning, make it juicy! Take risks! Dance next to the line – without crossing it. Let this stranger know that you are a real person – sometimes with family tiffs, speeding tickets, and morning breath! It will lighten the mood, foster trust, and be something to help them remember you.

If you’re someone who finds networking boring, this tells me that you need to move WAY closer to this proverbial line I’m talking about. As long as you remain respectful and avoid offending the person, this is what makes it fun. One way to do this is to tell the truth – tell them how you really felt about the presentation, or how business is really going (without being a whino – keep it polite and intellectual). Tell them about your trials and tribulations, or funny mishaps. Keep it short, then ask about them. You break the ice with candor, and invite them to follow suit.

4. Follow up
This is where your efforts can really pay off, or not. The fact that we tend to make fewer, closer connections makes it easier and more comfortable to follow up. Make your follow-up email or card personal to avoid making this process feel too mechanical. If you followed the tips above, you should have an interesting tidbit to cite that will remind you both of your connection.

When you follow up, take initiative in getting to know the person more. I recommend doing this even if you’re not sure you want to – remember, everyone has a story and theirs is richer than you can imagine. If they’re local, meet for lunch or coffee. If they’re too far, send articles or tidbits when they remind you of the person. Simply sending with a note saying “this made me think of you” is enough.

Bonus tip: arrive physically ready. As introverts, this type of engagement tends to use up our energy, so make sure you have a surplus when you arrive! Be well rested, well fed, and well hydrated. And if you notice you’re missing one of those things, excuse yourself for a 5-minute timeout and take care of yourself so that you can focus your energy on your new friends rather than your growling stomach.

Ultimately, networking doesn’t have to feel or be fake. Stay reminded of the original reason people decided to get together: to make connections. Let your goal be to foster true human connection, and do that the best way
you know how.

- Elizabeth J. Agnew, M.S., P.E.

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Liz specializes in leadership development coaching for engineers and other technically minded professionals. Through the coaching process, personal foundation, life vision, relationships, and behavior patterns are explored to leverage strengths and create new effective ways of being as a leader. Coaching happens 1-on-1 usually twice or three times per month.

See packages and rates:
http://www.vgacoaching.com/coaching_packages.htm

Sign up here for a free coaching consultation:
http://www.vgacoaching.com/coaching_try.htm

Tip 2: Opportunities

Opportunities abound for minority women in business. In some industries, if you distinguish yourself as an Asian-American, African-American, Latina/Hispanic or Native American-owned business, you receive a slight competitive advantage (for example, if you’re competing for state and local contracts). You might be in a sector where your unique insight or experience serves to broaden your company’s focus and better address a particular target market. You joining a board or acting in a leadership or executive position also gives your business an opportunity to benefit from your specific knowledge and background.

Taking a look at the industry you work in now (and/or the industry you want to work in), I recommend taking the following actions as you start to increase your network and establish connections to potential RFPs, projects, subcontracting opportunities, and bids.

Your network is your net worth
“Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi details the opportunities available to you when you expand your network. Your network may be built with friends, friends of friends, associates through alumni groups, trade groups, speaking groups like Toastmasters, professional and business-to-business groups like BNI and Chamber of Commerce, and any activity, hobby, extracurricular or religious groups.

Your database of contacts should constantly be growing (exponentially) and your ability to foster connections between the people in your network will truly determine the types of referrals and information you receive that’s relevant to your own professional development.

Strive to expand your circle of contacts to include individuals in different industries, in different geographical areas, and at different levels of expertise, from those just starting out to those nearing retirement. Send out periodic “pings” to your network that check in on how your associate is doing, what’s new in their life, and/or a resource like a link or news item that you think may be useful to them. When it comes to business, people will always choose someone they know, or someone that’s recommended to them, over a stranger, so your task is to increase the number of people that you know and to do so in a positive, proactive and beneficial way.

Keep informed of industry trends
Have an assistant or service send you a review of the week, or subscribe to magazines in your specific industry, or set up a Google News Alert to get the latest news on your target keywords delivered to your e-mail box. When you have good research, you keep abreast of trends, key players, mergers, acquisitions, expansions, and moves in your field of interest. Knowing this information opens up many opportunities for you to be “in the right place at the right time,” so take advantage of news sources.

Provide excellent value
I recommend aiming for quality, consistency, and value. What types of research findings, charts, questionnaires, or bullet points may you offer in your print, web, tv, radio, or in-person materials? When you add value to an experience with you, you provide a service, a data point, or a point of view that will be helpful to your potential prospect, visitor, or fellow citizen. Strive for the value-added aspects of your work and you’ll be rewarded with even more opportunities.

Share your knowledge
Perhaps you’ve done your own research or summary you may offer as a white paper, or perhaps you have an ability to post an interview with a key decisionmaker, or perhaps you have specific knowledge of a niche market: all of these pieces of knowledge, when shared, will establish you as a resource person. If you’re an expert in your particular field, share it! You may act as a spokesperson, a speaker, a research authority, or a source who’s “in the know.”

When you share your knowledge, you’ll open the door to many more potential prospects, associates, and power partners who come across your work, read about you in the news, or hear about you from other channels. This type of exposure helps build your credibility, authority, and reach, all of which help contribute to your bottom line.

If you don’t yet have anything to share, find a niche topic and become an expert on it. For instance, this blog focuses solely on women’s success, particularly in personal and professional development. My aim as the editor and main author is to provide valuable resources to you, and if you google me (Monica S. Flores), you’ll see that my search engine listings have expanded in the two years I’ve been blogging.

Give back
Find ways to share back with your community or industry, for example by working as a volunteer, serving as a board member, or mentoring a young person. One of the great rewards of your increasing success is your ability to contribute to other’s successes, so develop your values list and stick with it, either through a gift of your time, your knowledge, or your money.

For example, on this blog, we donate back 10% of net profits from book sales and blog advertising to Kiva.org to support 0% loans for women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

We all rise together. Find opportunities in your market, expand your network to reach that market, keep informed, share your knowledge, provide excellent value, and contribute back to your community.

Nowadays there is so much information in the world. I use del.icio.us to organize all my links into one place.

Because I travel, use multiple computers, and I’m always on the internet, I’ve found that keeping my bookmarks in ONE place is more helpful then spreading them all out.

I used to have my own personal “stash” of bookmarks, but I like using del.icio.us to organize and tag my links. You may also overlay social networking onto the site, by suggesting and receiving links from those in your network.

I use the badge to export my lists of links to other places, like my own business website 10Kwebdesign.com and to my Facebook profile.

The service is helpful, free, and easy-to-use: you simply sign up for an account and install the widget into your browser. When you’re browsing, you may easily “post a link to del.icio.us” and tag it. If you want to keep it private, just mark your link as a private link.

You may also surf to the site and see what other people are visiting and saving to their own del.icio.us accounts.

If you’re looking for a way to organize all your links by subject, category or even chronologically, I recommend this service.