That word alone made an introvert think a lot.
Have you ever felt like you want to know new people but are too afraid to start? You know networking has a lot of benefits but when you want to do it, you are like freeze and stop yourself.
“How can I go for networking if I’m an introvert?”
“What should I say when I meet people?”
“How can I start small talk if I don’t know what to say?”
My straightforward tip is just to do it. Don’t think too much and put pressure on yourself. You will never be perfect. When you go for the first session, you might be awkward and can’t open interesting topics. Do more. Again and again, until you see progress in yourself.
1-on-1 coffee chats are my favorite way to meet people as I can learn more about that people. What I normally do is invite people that I already connected in social media. My goal will always be to learn more about that person and what they do. Be interested in people.
If you are thinking to invite someone for coffee chats, here are two (2) tips that I can give you:
i) Do some homework when you want to invite people for coffee chats.
Look at that person’s social media profile before you go for coffee. Get connected with them first on social media. See what are they doing right now. This is really important as you can ask deeper during the coffee chat.
ii) Ask and give context why you want to invite them for the coffee chats.
When you ask someone who is busy, you need to understand that their time is expensive. If they agree, thank them for their time. Be brave to ask.
How many times should you aim for networking and coffee chats? It depends on you. Sometimes you may do a coffee chat once a month or twice a month.
Meeting new people might be scary at first since you are not used to it yet but eventually, you will get comfortable and want to do more. It’s really interesting to meet new people and learn new things especially if it’s a new industry for you.
During my coffee chats, I always gain new perspectives such as on career development, marketing, money management, and business growth.
