When I’m in a room with people I know, I can be the biggest extrovert in the world. I love talking and laughing with people, learning new things from them, and making personal connections. However, I get the worst anxiety when it comes to making cold phone calls or walking into a room full of people I don’t know. This has been hugely detrimental to my business. When I first started out, people would give me the number for a friend of a friend who was a web designer they thought I should talk to. I would stare at the number for weeks, terrified, until it was too late to call.

Luckily, a lot of my friends needed websites, and I was able to make connections that way. Only recently have I been able to connect with people I’ve never met before. If you’re a stranger-introvert like me, here’s a guide for overcoming it and working with it.

Do What You Do Best

I thoroughly believe that business comes if you focus on what you do best. As a networking introvert, you can be more internal by focusing on your skill and your product. If you are good at what you do and share it with others, business will find its way to you. You shouldn’t rely on only that to land clients, but if you write blog posts or are active on social media, be the best you can be at that. One of my best business relationships came from a blog post I wrote and shared on Pinterest. That person liked what she read and reached out to me!

Let your business speak for itself and you won’t have to! (As much…)

Talk to Friends and Family

Take advantage of the connections you already have. When I first started out, I reached out to every single friend or family member I had who I thought could use a website. Some I even did for free. I worked really hard and not only did I learn a lot from those projects, I was as professional and value-oriented as I could possibly be. On average, I get 2-3 new referrals from those “clients.” They didn’t all pan out into full projects, but when someone approaches you, that warm lead is way easier to cultivate.

Use Social Media

I’ve found social media (particularly Facebook and Instagram) to be the strongest tools in my networking arsenal. Here are the ways I’ve been using social media to network in ways I stumbled upon accidentally.

• Facebook Groups - This is probably my #1 favorite way to network. I’m very active in 3 groups and I post or comment daily. Through Facebook Groups, I can not only promote my services on occasion, but I can learn about new resources and ask questions that I can’t find the answers to on Google. My business has tripled and I’ve started a ton of new marketing opportunities like giveaways, guest blog posts, and more. You wouldn’t even be seeing this article if it wasn’t for a fantastic connection I made via a Facebook Group!
• Instagram Pods - Instagram pods are similar to Facebook Groups. They are basically a group chat in Instagram between you and up to 14 other accounts. You can share each other’s posts to try to beat the Instagram algorithm. You have a smaller, hyper-focused audience you can share and talk with.
• Reviews - After every project, I ask the client to leave me a review on Facebook. I will often exchange that review for one of their business if I can. This is a small yet powerful way to network, build relationships, and support other businesses!
• Be active - All in all, just be active on social media. The key to social media is being SOCIAL. The largest project I’ve ever gotten came from the fact that I’d been posting a lot about my projects and the growth of my business. An old high school friend messaged me and suggested I speak to her aunt who was looking for a web designer. I didn’t have to network at all, but my content did the networking for me.

General Tips

 If you’re in a networking environment and feel yourself getting anxious, here are some general ways to make the most of the situation without getting overwhelmed:

Ask people about themselves. People are more comfortable talking about what they know; it makes them feel important, and it’s a great way to discover common interests.

Experiment with different types of networking. By understanding which means of communication work best for you, you can avoid awkward and stressful situations. Do you network best on the phone? Over email? Social media? In person? Do you feel more social in the morning or evening? Try to take advantage of these opportunities, so you’re always presenting the best version of yourself to potential clients.

Find ways to decompress after networking experiences. Try compiling a list of self-care activities to try out after particularly stressful events.

Find a buddy. Make connections with a friend in your industry, but not a competing business owner. You can attend conferences and meetings together. If they are better at networking or more of an extrovert, they can do more of the talking and you can chime in when you feel comfortable.

I hope these tips helped you! The goal isn’t to become more of an extrovert, but to use your own fantastic skills to be confident enough to network effectively. Good luck!