Things Every Introvert Should Do Before a Networking Event
2. DON’T AIM TO WORK THE WHOLE ROOM
“It’s useful before an event to learn a little bit about the people who will be there,” says Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and founder of Quiet Revolution, a website and consulting firm for introverts. “For everyone you meet, you’ll get beyond basic small talk faster.” Because crowds of people tend to drain energy from introverts, they’ll spend less time at an event and need to make the most of every conversation. And unlike extroverts, they don’t feel the need to work the whole room. ” I always advise people when they go into a classic networking situation to look for what I call the kindred spirits,” says Cain. “The people they can truly connect with whether or not they have some professional reason to do it.”
For me, the most interesting people are not the people at the center of the room, so I look for people who are standing on the fringes, not the ones pushing themselves into a circle of conversation. Sure, I spend more time talking to fewer people, but in return, I feel that I come away from events with deeper and longer-lasting connections.
