Chapter 6: Tips For Virtual Networking As An Introvert
As an introvert, you may worry that you are not able to do any of this virtual networking in the first place. It is hard for some introverts to get out there and make a splash, to get themselves noticed, but all is not lost. In fact, working with virtual networking could actually be beneficial to someone who is an introvert. You get many of the same benefits, without having to attend many of the same in-person events.
An introvert is able to work with virtual networking as well to see success with growing their connections and making sure they get success. Some of the tips that an introvert is able to use to help with virtual networking includes:
Have Reasonable Expectations
Be reasonable about your expectations when you get started with virtual networking. While it would be amazing to talk to someone for five minutes and be instant best friends and have that person open twenty doors for you, that is a lot of pressure to put on any meeting that you plan to do and it is not a good idea to start with.
Be reasonable about what you expect out of all the conversations that you have with the other person. Think about how you can help them. Keep it all simple too. If some doors do open, even better, but for right now you are just working through a conversation. If you just see this as a conversation to meet someone new, rather than something that will instantly change your life, a lot of the pressure will fall off and you will find that the conversation flows more naturally and goes better than before.
Listen More Than You Talk
While making new connections, one thing that you should focus on is learning how to listen more than you talk. You learn once when you talk, you learn twice when you listen. Many people get nervous when it is time to make new connections and meet new people. They assume that they have to carry the whole conversation and talk the whole time, and this can make them nervous. However, while you do need to say something and bring up questions and show that you are listening, you may find that it is more successful when you are able to listen more than you talk.
By letting the other person talk more and express their opinion, you will be able to learn more about them. You can find some new connections, bring up new topics to talk about, and discuss things in a new way. This just does not happening if you are spending all the time domineering the conversation and not letting the other person talk ta all, you are going to end up with a bored connection who does not want to talk to you again.
Everyone likes to talk about themselves. It makes them feel good. And when you respond and show that you are interested in what they try to tell you, this can form a really good connection as well. And all of this is only possible if you take the time to really listen to the other person along the way.
Prepare With Icebreakers
Getting a conversation up and running can be one of the hardest parts of virtual networking, or any other type of networking that you would like to do. Once you can make everyone feel comfortable, you will be able to get the ball rolling and can ensure that everyone is going to have a good time while connecting.
You may want to consider some of the best icebreakers that you are able to use along the way. These can help put everyone at ease and will set the mood as you go through some of the steps to opening them up and getting ready for the rest of the presentation. You can look up a few different icebreakers so you are ready to take on the rest of the connection and see the best results in the process.
Have a Follow-Up Plan
It is important to have a good follow-up plan for all of your customers or new clients. This is a chance for you to reiterate what was discussed online together and to see if you are able to provide further assistance. There are different types of follow-up plans that you are able to work with depending on your goals and your product, but create the type of follow-up plan that you would like to use from the very beginning.
Maybe you send out an email thanking the other person for meeting with you right away. Maybe you wait a few days to let things settle and then follow up to see if they had any more questions or were still interested in the product or meeting up. You can decide the way to do this, but a good follow-up plan helps to maintain that connection and can prove useful later on with that person too.
Know When You Need to Say No
One thing that can be hard for an introvert to do is learn when to say no to something. They want to make others happy and worry about disappointing someone else. They want to be everything to everyone all the time, and this may lead them to taking on more than they are able to handle.
It is a good to be motivated and ready to lend a hand. This makes you stand out from the crowd and introverts are often really good at managing time and can make themselves stick out this way rather than focusing on being loud or as talkative as others. But introverts may struggle with the word no and will take on too much, draining their own energy and losing some of the quality that they can provide.
It is important to know where your limits are and then stick with them. This can be hard in the beginning. You want everyone to like you and you may not like telling someone no because you think it will disappoint them. But saying no is good for you and for the other person. It helps you to have limits and others to respect them and ensures that you are rested up enough to be able to give the best each time.
Virtual networking is something that anyone is able to do, regardless of their talents, time, or personality. With the tips above, an introvert or an extrovert will be able to create some of the virtual networking that they desire.