How can you network effectively when you're nervous?

preparation is essential in networking, and having a well-crafted 30-second pitch can significantly ease the process of introducing yourself. In this fast-paced world of professional interactions, those initial moments are critical for making a lasting impression. My approach to introductions revolves around succinctly conveying who I am, what I do, and what makes me unique. This involves highlighting my professional background, skills, and achievements, while also showcasing my enthusiasm and eagerness to connect with others.

It's crucial to remember that networking is not about being the most outgoing person in the room; it's about building genuine connections and relationships. As a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, I've encountered many individuals who struggle with nerves when networking, but I've also seen them overcome these challenges and thrive. As long as you prepare/practice, set some realistic goals, focus on listening, find common ground and practice some mindfulness technique, you'll be able to feel more comfortable...and one last important thing, networking doesn't end when the event is over. Follow up with the people you've connected with to reinforce your relationship. It's all about baby steps :)

To alleviate pre-event jitters, consider proactive preparation for the upcoming networking occasion. Delve into research about attendees, familiarize yourself with the agenda and venue, and formulate engaging questions or topics for conversation. Additionally, rehearse your elevator pitch—a concise introduction outlining your identity, profession, and contributions. A polished and self-assured pitch not only leaves a positive impression but also helps sidestep awkward silences.

Préparation et confiance sont vraiment les clés pour briller lors de ces occasions. En effet, anticiper les sujets de conversation et affûter son elevator pitch permettent non seulement de se sentir plus à l'aise, mais aussi de véhiculer une image professionnelle et impactante. De mon expérience, je recommande également de rester authentique et à l'écoute des autres participants, car le réseautage est avant tout une opportunité d'échanger et de créer des relations durables.

Before you head into any networking situation, have an idea of your intention for that conversation ahead. What is it that you seek as an outcome? What do you want to leave them knowing about you? Practicing your pitch ahead of time with a trusted colleague or career coach. Make sure to connect the dots of who you are to the 'so what' of the conversation. Ask yourself 'why would what I'm saying matter to this person?'. Consider one outcome of your networking meeting to be creating an ambassador for your brand. Preparing ahead of time with outcomes in mind will help set you up for success and continued conversation with this person.

Always focus on quality over quantity. There’s nothing worse than that person walking around an event handing their business card to anyone breathing. These aren’t connections. They are simply wasting time & business cards. The people that you connect with and end up having a meaningful conversation with are the ones you want to continue to build and work towards an actual relationship. Be patient, building relationships takes time. Anything worthwhile does! Also, focus on being a go giver instead of a go getter. Start your conversation with, “tell me about you…” “I see you seem so comfortable here, can I get some advice…”

Falar muito, principalmente se não for um especialista do assunto, pode gerar desconfiança dos envolvidos na sala de reunião. Além da preparação discutida em outro tópico que serve para entender os comportamentos adequados para cada situação. Usualmente, quem fala menos e no final de um debate costuma ter mais conhecimento técnico, por experiência, isso normalmente ocorre.

First of all remember that lots of people are uncomfortable in these situations. So they will love to have someone make the effort to chat to them. Take the focus off you and put it on them by getting curious and asking questions. Another tip - I scan the room and look for the person I think looks most alive and interesting! Then I make a bee line for them.

Don’t fake it – Be yourself. Do not try to customize yourself to the individual or group you wish to network with. People connect with originals and get interested to know them better. This is especially relevant in today’s Glocal ( Global-yet-local) world which is a melting pot of different cultures. It is easy to get sucked into mirroring and trying to ‘align’ yourself to the mean. Such behavior immediately makes people suspicious & defensive towards you because they will feel you are role-playing. Just be You- the best 'first-hand-you' & not the second best second-hand-someone-else'.

In my experience it’s helpful to take some deep breaths before entering a room. Being prepared on who the attendees are and what questions you’d like to ask them will greatly reduce the awkwardness when introducing yourself. Also remember that the people you are meeting are just people. Be authentic and the conversations will flow seamlessly.

Re-build bridges – Life is long & we are human. We make mistakes, behave irrationally and break ties as we go along. If you want to be a good networker, look back often. Find people you lost along the way, owing to their fault or yours. Bring them back. If you had been wrong, say sorry. It won’t make you smaller. If they had been unreasonable, just reach out and ease the tension. Maybe they have also been feeling bad but have been plain awkward. Make it easy. In these interim years, they have gone on different trajectories and will have heaps of life lessons to share. Life is always better with one well-wisher more.

Whenever you attend an event and exchange cards with someone make sure you follow up. When following up be sure to personalize the message by adding some of the items discussed when you initially met. If your initial meeting ends with, “let’s get coffee sometime soon” pull out your calendar (we all have a phone) and lock up the meeting right there. Go to the event with a goal of a certain number of meetings you’ll set and don’t leave til that goal is met.

Le suivi est crucial pour transformer une rencontre en opportunité concrète. C'est là que se construit la véritable relation. Un e-mail personnalisé ou un message après l'événement montre non seulement votre engagement, mais renforce également le lien établi.

This is so true, you must be seen to be adding value to the other party after connecting because that’s the only way they will value that networking . So I would say start by keeping in touch , just by sending a message to reintroduce yourself , let them know what you do and how you might add value in the future if they ever need that kind of service.

La manera de preservar y mantener cualquier contacto es a través del seguimiento. En ocasiones en el mismo momento se pueden intercambiar números de teléfono o a veces es prudente esperar unos días para establecer un contacto mas cercano. Cada contacto es diferente por lo que nos debemos de adaptar a cada circunstancia diferente que cada contacto representa,

Solicitar retroalimentación es un arte, si la solicitas a tu jefatura, debes cuidar no parecer inseguro de tu labor. Si en tu trabajo debes realizar conexiones con personas externas te sugiero que desde el momento que se genere la alianza te muestres abierta/o a sugerencias. Si trabajas en red con otros equipos puedes solicitar o discutir ideas para mejorar tus aportes. Si no eres tan experto en un tema, busca en tu red más cercana de amigos o colegas alguien que tenga más conocimiento y pídele orientación. Si no sabes cómo abordar o comportarte en una situación, pide apoyo a tus cercanos, comenta la situación de manera objetiva y escucha sus puntos de vista Evalúa tomar un coaching si es algo que te aflige en demasía.

Faça sempre que possível a solicitação de feedback a pares, superiores e subordinados, mas esteja aberto para ouvir cada ponto, e principalmente, preparado para corrigir eventuais desvios de comportamento desejados por aquele grupo de pessoas. Lembre-se que mesmo que você não concorde com um feedback, ele é a forma como uma pessoa ou grupo te "enxerga" em determinado comportamento.

In my experience, feedback has helped a great deal and I would usually set a target about how many people I want to network with and why I think I need to . This helps put me in track, so as not to loose focus

La naturalidad y la autenticidad de tu manera de ser es la forma mas eficaz para establecer contactos. Muéstrate como eres, de manera respetuosa y formal. Prepárate sobre el tema que te interesa y establece conexión naturales con tus contactos.

D'après mon expérience, il faut toujours demander un feedback. On peut parfois avoir le sentiment d'avoir fait une super première impression ou inversement et être complètement à côté de la réalité. Il faut sans cesse challenger notre façon de réseauter, regarder si nos objectifs sont atteints, si le taux de relations qui perdurent est important. Nous avons tous dans notre entourage des personnes extrêmement douées pour développer leur réseau en créant du lien. Leurs conseils sont précieux, il faut s'en nourrir pour progresser tout en restant soi-même.

Having a presence online can help break the ice, draw others to you, and/or showcase your expertise or direction. This is where you get to own your narrative. Be mindful of how you present yourself and seek feedback from others. Does your online profile communicate what it is you're seeking? Fix anything that is a disconnect. More often than not, when you reach out to someone to connect with, they will spend a few seconds glancing at your profile. If there isn't much on it, there's not much appeal for them to perhaps say yes to your ask. This is your opportunity to tell and share your story or direction using your words. It leaves less up for misinterpretation from others.

Yes I would Linkedln is a fantastic online too. It’s easy to network with like minded professionals just by creating contents that speak to the different aspects of your experience and expertise.

I work entirely online and have found that I had to put more effort into my online networking than f2f networking. BUT! I have found that my online connections are more active and engaging than my connections who work predominantly in f2f situations. One of biggest recommendations would be to introduce yourself fully when you connect with someone on LinkedIn. This can generate spontaneous conversation and act as an ice breaker. If you are reading this - reach out and say hi! 👋🏻

Online Networking knows no boundaries and it allows to reach beyond people your domain. If you are nervous to connect AI can help u with the initial format to break the ice,however to consume at its best the goal of networking should be clear.

El seguimiento y el mantenimiento de nuestras redes sociales es muy importante para no perder vigencia. Debemos de publicar y compartir contenidos acordes a cada red social. Tratar de aportar algo a nuestros contactos de redes, es decir que quienes nos siguen puedan aprender algo en cada publicación nuestra.

There is no harm in telling people how you are feeling at that very moment. Share you feeling and then put your best foot forward. It will result into a win win situation. If you do well the audience will feel wow even in stress he is doing well and if you don't do so well. The audience already know how you are feeling and will have empathy for you.

Lembro de ter ouvido algumas vezes de pessoas mais velhas que "uma boa noite de sono resolve qualquer problema". Quando nos sentimos cansados, exaustos física, emocional e mentalmente, não há nada mais que devamos priorizar do que o descanso. Pode ser o básico, procurando dormir bem, alimentar-se bem, manter-se hidratado, ou poder ser através de um descanso ativo: corridas, ler um livros, trilhas em meio à natureza, tempo de qualidade com a família... ou seja lá qual for o seu hobby. O importante é que você identifique algo que te recarregue. Identificando, inclua um momento por si na própria agenda, e não desmarque ante nenhum pretexto externo. É um ato de altruísmo cuidarmos de nós mesmos.

Penso na técnica do P.A.R.A.R: - Pause o momento - Atente-se a como está se sentindo - Respire e percebe sua respiração - Amplie sua consciência para além da respiração - Responda sob seu novo estado mental

Remember that it's okay to feel nervous. Everyone experiences nerves at networking events, and most people will understand and empathize with your situation.

Trust you have value to bring to the table. Realise everybody typically uncomfortable networking. Remember it is simply 2 humans looking to build a connection. Try find common ground. Before entering a networking situation give yourself a chance to settle. Don’t rush in. Ground yourself.

Most of us prefer networking in the comfort zone of our strong ties – family, close friends, immediate colleagues. The best networkers tap into their ‘weak ties’, meaning – their secondary & tertiary networks. This pays exponential dividends. Your immediate tribe often moves in the same circles of information and experiences as you. Your chances of expanding yourself is limited when you do not go beyond them. Your weak ties, or your distant acquaintances, have different circles & life models for you to learn & benefit from. Likewise, they also stand to gain from you. So never underestimate those friends of friends, or colleagues of friends, or friends of colleagues

When I find myself nervous ,it is good to be within myself and find little space, grab a coffee and read those one of my favorite lines or quotes .. This will immediately calm me down and I can bounce back and start networking smart . In the process i will also never go unnoticed , the process and people will also reaching out to me for help.

I hate "networking". However, I am interested in many things and I like sharing ideas. It's been my experience, that random networking events don't work very well. Instead, I find things I'm interested in, then I "make friends" in that area. By doing a little research, I can figure out who/where the major players are. Then I find the companies or universities doing research in those areas. I look for events where I can meet people with similar interests. I read articles and contact the authors on social media or reach out on LinkedIn. I ask about their companies, their projects, and get myself closer to the problem domain. Adopt a "making friends" attitude and you'll never have to network again.

After you talked about the food, traffic and weather, what else could you say? If you struggle with what to say, try FORD, a trick I first learned in one of the LinkedIn Learning's communication courses. FORD is your new friend for small talk, an acronym easy to remember! If you don't feel comfortable asking people about their FORD, you can break the ice by sharing yours first. - F for Family - children, pets, siblings, "I recently adopted a dog." - O for Occupation - jobs, roles, professions. "Tell me more about what you do." - R for Recreation - sports, music, hobbies, "Did you watch last night's Grammy Award?" - D for Dreams - future plans, "What's your plan for the holiday?" Give it a try!