Not all of us are wired for working a room.
I’m that guy who enters a room full of people I don’t know and heads for the remote corner avoiding making eye contact with anyone and everyone.
My preference is to have only a few good conversations that have some real substance . . . talking about one or two issues or opportunities in depth.
Unfortunately, my way isn’t fruitful in terms of generating new business for my business.
Until I decided to learn how to do this better (so I could actually get SOME benefit by attending these events), I decided that it would better for me not to show up at all.
Making great connections that lead to future business is a requirement for any professional or business to achieve a higher level of success.
The world doesn’t care whether or not you’re an introvert because you’re making it so easy for them not to notice you with your evasive retreat to the dark recesses of the room.
When you decide that you do, indeed, want and/or NEED new business opportunities, it might behoove you to shift your mindset so as to turn this networking thing into a profitable venture.
The good news is that you will NOT have to transform your personality from introvert to extrovert.
You do, though, need to turn this into a mind game and hone your strategy.
Here are some things I recommend because they work for me:
Approach others with curiosity
Extroverts LOVE to talk . . . and especially about themselves and their stratospheric success. They crave audiences, and you’re the perfect audience because you can give them exactly what they want. Odds are decent, they’ll do ALL the talking if you let them. Odds are also good that at the end of the monologue/”conversation”, they will think you are BRILLIANT (even though you’ve only spoken 4 words).
In the event they appear to be losing steam, simply ask another simple question . . . Make it all about THEM.
“What’s your business?”
“Why did you choose this career?”
“Who are your best customers/clients and how do you find them?”
“Why did you come to this event? What do you hope to get here?”
“Are you from around here?”
“Do you have family here? Spouse – Kids?”
“How can I help you get more of what you want?”
Invariably, this person will (in the final 30 seconds of this encounter) ask you what YOU do.
You’ve gotta be ready for this with your best “Elevator speech” because as soon they ask this, this is the trigger of the end of the “conversation”.
So . . . “My company is Pareto Realty. We are “The Vital Few” REALTORS, and We represent Home Buyers and Sellers throughout Middle Tennessee. I am founder, owner, and Principal Broker, and my full focus is on serving my agents quintessentially and helping them build their own niche businesses which provide the quality of life they want and deserve. My “Secret Sauce” is incorporating 80/20 strategy into everything we do. My charge is to build this team, so I am always on the lookout for great agents to join us.”
Provocative enough?
“Let’s get together for a cup a coffee next week.”
Strategist-CEO of Pareto Realty Inviter-Facilitator-Practicer of Open Space Technology Opening safe space for people & organizations to self-organize around issues & opportunities Invite-Listen-Love
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