Business Networking For Introverts

A challenge for many IT workers is business networking.  We chose out career often as a desire to avoid dealing with people more than we have to.  We are often introverts and not very comfortable in a crowd.  That makes it even harder for us to find our way to a useful discussion in a networking environment. Business Networking Is Critical The problem is, of course, that we have to network to build a customer list and become successful.  The good news is that we do not have to suffer through these situations.  A good script and routine can help us avoid the uncomfortable "winging it" situation.  Instead of having to grope for words, we can recite a message we want to share and simplify our interactions.  This approach may not be ideal, but it does allow us to get over the hump of an introduction when we are in these large group situations.  At that point, we might be able to pique enough interest to shrink the conversation to a few interested parties.  That is a win-win. Fall Back On Your Brand One of the best things about a personal brand is using that as an introduction that is better than a name.  Instead of "Hi I'm Rob the programmer" you can say "Hi, My company is BizSolv, we solve problems for small businesses."  This introduction keeps you on message (solve problems for small businesses) and when your primary point of introduction is something others are looking for they will be drawn in.  At that point, small talk often dissipates, and you can get down to business where you are much more comfortable.