You Can Be a Connector Even If You're Not a Natural People Person

You might not be the type of person who loves to socialize, attend big parties, and network whenever you get the chance. If so, that's okay! The key to being able to utilize relationships with your clients does not mean that you must create relationships with everyone who crosses your path. It simply requires you to have a plan for those with whom you would like to connect with; if you look at the future of your career and/or business, you'll immediately be able to identify people with whom it is important that you become well acquainted. First and foremost will be the customers that you want to turn into loyal clients for life. The more you understand what priority links you need to make, the sooner you will be able to take advantage of some of the common sense—and sometimes, even simple—principles of connecting. It doesn't matter whether you are introverted or extroverted; what matters is that you've spent some time thinking about which relationships are the most vital and why.

Recently, probably the nation's best-known networking professional came to the realization that he is an introvert! Ivan Misner, PhD, founder of BNI and the author of 11 books on networking, shared with me that he recently discovered that he is actually an introvert. What? Misner said that his wife of 20 years told him during dinner one night that he displayed many introvert tendencies. Misner was shocked! How could a professional speaker and the founder of the largest networking organization be an introvert? So he took an online test and found that he was a "situational extrovert," meaning that he was reserved around strangers but very outdoing in the right context. "It struck me why I started BNI," Misner said. "I was naturally uncomfortable meeting new people. BNI created a system that enabled me to meet people in an organized, structured, networking environment that did not require that I actually...talk to strangers."

So, if we all can potentially be great networkers with other people, how do we jump into it or how can we focus to improve our skills and results?

To begin forming potential connections, it's a good idea to first begin by figuring out with which people your most important relationships already potentially exist. Ask yourself this: Who do I need to be able to connect with in order to create loyal clients, further my career, and build my business success? (Hint: consider categories like clients and vendors or specific individuals within categories).